Filipinos expressed support for Filipino-American Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel after Miss Universe Organization (MUO) president Raul Rocha Cantu allegedly compared her Instagram following to those of other titleholders.
A clip of Raul commenting on the half-Pinay’s Instagram followers went viral, in which he allegedly praised Miss Universe 2025 Fatima Bosch Fernandez for her rise in followers amid her victory and compared it with R’Bonney’s.
“Just for your knowledge, Fatima has gained three million followers in just one week — a remarkable achievement by any standard,” he was quoted as saying.
“During my term, other Miss Universes like Victoria from Denmark and Sheynnis from Nicaragua also experienced notable growth in their followings, proving their influence during their reigns,” the MUO president said, referencing the Miss Universe 2024 and 2023 titleholders, respectively.
“Yet, our former American queen, R’Bonney, who won in 2022, has reached only around 800,000 followers in nearly five years. The numbers speak for themselves,” Raul added.
“Fatima’s reach, engagement, and resonance with the public have been nothing short of extraordinary,” he continued, referring to his country’s bet in the beauty pageant.
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R’Bonney saw the video on Instagram and reacted.
“I’m so tired of being measured by follower count,” she commented on Monday, November 25.
Some Filipinos learned of the development and urged fellow Pinoys to show support for the half-Pinay by helping her Instagram following grow in response to Raul’s comments.
“Pati si R’Bonney, dinamay na! She did her best as the host of Miss Universe 2025, and what did she get? An insult from Raul Rocha himself,” a user said, referring to R’Bonney’s stint as host of the Miss Universe 2025 national costume segment.
“Kaya mga mhie, I urge all of you to follow R’Bonney’s Instagram account. This current MUO is a disgrace in pageantry,” the user added.
Pati si R’Bonney dinamay na! She did her best as the host of Miss Universe 2025 and what did she get? an insult from Raul Rocha himself.🙅♀️
Kaya mga mhie, I urge all of you to follow R’Bonney’s Instagram account. This current MUO is a disgrace in pageantry.#RBonneyGabriel… pic.twitter.com/AHYIjzXA3H
— Yashael 👑❣️📸 (@Dainsleif_10) November 26, 2025
“Let’s follow R’Bonney, nakakaloka na ‘to si Raul,” another Filipino commented.
“Please follow R’Bonney’s Instagram account,” said a different user.
Shoe designer Jojo Bragais, whose brand served as the official footwear sponsor of Miss Universe 2025, also shared his thoughts on Raul’s comments about R’Bonney.
“Follow our Queen R’Bonney Gabriel, road to [one] million!” he exclaimed on Facebook.
R’Bonney, who represented the United States in the pageant, has been traveling back and forth to the Philippines, her father’s home country, since ending her reign.
She has since embraced her Pinoy heritage by shopping in Divisoria, using a motorcycle-hailing app to beat traffic, and speaking Filipino whenever she can, among other activities.
