The parents of late student-athlete Rene Baterbonia have donated his senior high school basketball jersey to vlogger Boss Toyo for display at his museum.
Rene’s parents, Rene and Rovelyn Baterbonia, appeared in Boss Toyo’s recent vlog, where they personally handed over the jersey, which their son wore during his early days as a student-athlete in senior high school.
The jersey will be displayed at Boss Toyo’s Pinoy Pawnstars Museum in Quezon City, which houses various iconic pop culture items and memorabilia.
During the vlog, Boss Toyo and Rene’s parents also addressed rumors that the jersey was allegedly being sold to the vlogger for P25 million.
“May nagtanong po sa akin na ganyan, ‘Totoo ba ‘yung ano, bibilhin ni Boss Toyo ‘yung jersey ng anak mo?’ Sabi ko hindi ko ‘yun ibebenta sa kanya kahit ilang ano,” Rovelyn recalled.
“Sabi nga meron… ilang milyon ba ‘yun? 25 million. Grabe. Sabi ko, minsan iba na rin talaga ang mga netizens natin eh. Kahit may nagdadalamhati,” Boss Toyo said.
He also clarified that he never took advantage of the situation for publicity.
“Ako tahimik lang ako no’n. Never ako sumakay doon sa clout. Never akong gumawa ng kahit anong gimik nung time na ‘yon. Kasi alam ko ‘yung mga panahon na ‘yon mabigat eh,” he shared.
Boss Toyo further emphasized that Rene’s jersey was not sold but was instead willingly donated by his family.
“Ito ay para lang sa kalaman niyo. Hindi ito binenta,” he asserted.
He also announced that the memorabilia will eventually be made available for public viewing at the museum once its renovation is completed.
“Para po sa mga taga-Manila, mga taga-QC, nasa Luzon. Oo. Pwede na nilang makita. Pwede niyo na makita after ng renovation eh,” he said, noting that some people had been asking to see memorabilia belonging to Baterbonia.
Rovelyn, meanwhile, shared that she willingly gave away her son’s jersey so it could be preserved and displayed at the museum.
“Ito po ‘yung jersey ng anak ko noong senior high school pa po siya. Ito po ‘yung pinili ni Boss Toyo para gusto niya ilagay dito sa kanyang museum,” she said.
“Bigay ko po ‘to sa kanya nang kusa na walang kapalit po para naman po alagaan naman po niya nang mabuti po,” she added.
Boss Toyo also expressed his gratitude to Rene’s parents for entrusting him with one of their son’s belongings.
“Pinledge ‘to sa atin ng mama at papa ni Bobet para meron tayong isang gamit ni Bobet para mailagay dito sa ating museum at lubos ako nagpapasalamat at hanggang ngayon kinikilabutan pa ako dahil syempre—’di ba kilala naman natin—ako talaga ang hinangaan ko dito is yung pagiging mabait na bata ni Bobet,” he said.
Baterbonia, an 18-year-old basketball player from Talacogon, Agusan del Sur, died in a drowning incident in Dipaculao, Aurora, in June.
His promising basketball career, as well as that of fellow Ateneo de Manila University men’s basketball player Divine Adili, 21, was cut short following the fatal incident during a team-building activity of the Blue Eagles.
