FACT CHECK: Hontiveros, Castro statements on Occidental Mindoro clash are fake

Claim: Senator Risa Hontiveros and former ACT Teachers Representative France Castro made statements defending the youth who died in the clash between the military and the New People’s Army (NPA) in Occidental Mindoro, as seen in quote cards circulating online. 

Rating: FALSE 

Why we fact-checked this: The post bearing the claim has already received 700 comments and 141 shares as of writing. It was posted on January 6, days after the encounter between the NPA and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Mindoro on January 1, 2026. 

The quote card includes a photo of Hontiveros and her supposed statement: “Ang tunay na bayani ay ang mga namatay na kabataan sa Mindoro hindi ang sundalo. Dahil sila ang nakikibaka sa kabataan para pumunta sa bundok.”

(The real heroes are the young people who died in Mindoro, not the soldiers, because they are the ones who are fighting for the youth to go to the mountains.)

It also features a photo of Castro and cites her supposedly saying, “Ginulo mo BBM ang mga kabataan sa Mindoro. Maglabasan na tayo ng amoy. Ikaw lang naman ang may hawak ng pondo sa Pinas. Lahat ng pag-uutos mo sinunod namin.”

(You, BBM [Bongbong Marcos], have disturbed the youth in Mindoro. Let’s reveal our secrets. You are the only one who holds the funds in the Philippines. We have followed all your orders.)

The facts: Hontiveros and Castro did not make the statements cited in the quote cards. 

Hontiveros has already debunked the fake statement on January 8, warning the public to beware of false information circulating online. Meanwhile, no credible sources or legitimate news reports confirm that Castro made the alleged statement. 

Vera Files has also debunked a similar post circulating a fake quote card attributed to Hontiveros.

Mindoro clash: On January 1, military troops clashed with members of the NPA Komiteng Larangang Gerilya–Island Committee Mindoro (KLG-ICM) in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, according to a report by the Philippine News Agency.

On January 6, the AFP described the operation as a “legitimate intelligence-driven mission” against communist terrorist group leaders. The military said it responded to residents’ reports of armed NPA members in the area, supposedly for a meeting to commemorate the founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). The clashes resulted in the death of a Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila student.

The CPP, however, disputed the Army’s report and said its forces were observing a unilateral ceasefire. 

Old false claims: Hontiveros has long been the target of disinformation peddlers making false posts linking her to rebel groups. Vera Files disproved a post in 2020 that claimed Hontiveros supposedly called the NPA rebels “heroes” of the land. Similarly, Rappler fact-checked a post in 2023 that claimed the senator was a protector of communist rebels. 

Rappler, Vera Files, and One News have also previously debunked fake quote cards attributed to Hontiveros. 

Castro, who was a member of the Makabayan bloc in Congress during her term as ACT Teachers representative, has also been the subject of red-tagging and a false claim that she was expelled from Congress. – Angelee Kaye Abelinde/Rappler.com 

Angelee Kaye Abelinde is a student journalist based in Naga City, and an alumna of Rappler’s Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship 2024. 

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