A circulating social media post claims that some of Rene Baterbonia’s followers experienced improvements in their health conditions after following the late Ateneo basketball player.
The said video added to growing concerns online over what some critics described as an increasingly ‘cult-like’ form of devotion surrounding his memory.
One supporter claimed she had been suffering from high blood pressure and fatty liver, but said her condition became normal after she started following Baterbonia.
The post quickly drew criticisms, with other users questioning the idea of attributing a person’s recovery from illness to Baterbonia.
One X user, Mess Minchin, reacted:
“Mataas sugar and fatty liver tapos nung finollow daw si Rene naging normal na???? OH GOD WE ARE FKCED. These people can vote.”
The latest controversy follows a series of unusual tributes involving Baterbonia since his death, including religious imagery and posts portraying him in saint-like form.
An AI-generated image that circulated online previously portrayed Baterbonia as “the new saint of all athletes” and a supposed patron of athletes. Another wave of online content included highly personal tributes, merchandise and other displays of devotion.
These developments have led some observers and netizens to describe the phenomenon as moving beyond ordinary fandom and grief, with some joking that the growing community could eventually resemble a cult or religious organization.
The debate comes as Baterbonia’s name remains prominent online months after his death alongside fellow Ateneo player Divine Adili, who both died during a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora, on June 8.
As investigations into the deaths continue, Baterbonia’s supporters have continued to build an active online community around his memory while critics increasingly question where remembrance ends and extreme devotion begins. (By The Staff)
