A false claim linking Sen. Risa Hontiveros to tennis rising star Alex Eala has spread widely on social media, with prominent public figures amplifying posts that both women have not supported.
The fabricated story, which began circulating on Facebook and X on March 29, alleged that Hontiveros had approached Eala to promote LGBT causes at upcoming international competitions, and that Eala rebuffed the request by drawing a line between sports and politics. No credible source, press conference, or official statement from either woman supports this account.
Hontiveros addressed the posts directly on April 1, calling them outright falsehoods and calling on Meta and X to remove them. “Stop the lies. Hindi ako humingi ng anumang pag-endorso ni Alex Eala,” she said. Eala, for her part, has not commented on the matter at all.
The false posts found a wide audience in part because of who chose to spread them. Former broadcaster Jay Sonza published a version of the claim on April 1 that accumulated more than 20,000 reactions, over 3,400 comments, and around 1,600 shares. Political analyst Malou Tiquia reposted a similar claim on X, drawing over a hundred reposts and likes. Hontiveros’ rebuttal post specifically named both.
Several Facebook pages — including Tennis Now Insight, Tennis Spark, and HOOPS Basketball Legends — had already posted versions of the claim to thousands of reactions before the debunking emerged. Tennis Now Insight has a pattern of using AI-generated images of Eala, often pairing them with political content to drive engagement.
Eala is currently on an extended Holy Week break with her family. She is set to begin her clay season campaign in Austria on Monday, following her Miami Open exit on March 23 after a loss to Karolina Muchova.
