The Voice Season 26 winner, Sofronio Vasquez, made reality TV history as the first Filipino and Asian to win the competition. It was an emotional moment for the singer, as well as his first-time coach, Michael Bublé.

But while many Filipinos are celebrating Sofronio’s achievement back in the Philippines, some started questioning his “humble” background of growing up “with virtually nothing, including no bed or indoor plumbing,” per his NBC bio.

As it turned out, Sofronio comes from a well-known political family in his hometown in Misamis Occidental, Philippines. Here’s why fans are convinced that his rags-to-riches story is inaccurate.

The Voice Season 26 Winner Sofronio Vasquez Is Related To The Late Mayor Of Ozamiz City, Philippines

Four Of Sofronio Vasquez’s Relatives Were Killed During The Philippines’ “War On Drugs”

Sofronio’s mother, Aida Parojinog Vasquez, is one of the sisters of former Ozamiz City mayor, Reynaldo “Aldong” Parojinog—who was shot dead during the Philippines’ “War on Drugs” under ex-president, Rodrigo Duterte.

Fourteen other people were killed in the tragic “2017 Ozamiz Raid” in the province of Misamis Occidental, including Reynaldo’s wife and his two other siblings, Octavio and Mona. Due to this connection, fans are now questioning The Voice winner’s rags-to-riches background.

A “concerned” citizen from Sofronio’s province even wrote a letter to the Philippine news outlet, Rappler, after they published a short profile about the singer, quoting Sofronio’s Vogue Philippines interview where he said, “I grew up in a squatters’ area, where anytime, our home could be demolished.”

The reader called out the publication for “not fact-checking,” as they had previously written many articles about Sofronio’s influential family, including a family tree that mentions his mother and his eponymous late father (see last photo on the Reddit post above).

While some say Sofronio’s family could have truly struggled when he was younger (he told Vogue Philippines his father grew up poor), many believe his story was sensationalized as “poverty porn.” They even cited a photo of him sitting on a boat in Amanpulo, a luxury private island in the Philippines, although it was fairly recent (2022).

Sofronio Vasquez Was Called “The King Of Auditions” In The Philippines After “Countless” Rejections On Singing Competitions

No Coach Turned For Sofronio Vasquez When He Auditioned For The Voice Philippines

via Instagram/@sofroniovasquez

Sofronio pursued singing while juggling a dentistry degree at Misamis University in 2015, where he got a scholarship, thanks to his uncle’s help. He started by auditioning for The Voice Philippines, where no coach turned for him.

He then joined another local TV competition called, Tawag ng Tanghalan, as well as a singing contest segment on the variety show, It’s Showtime, both of which he credits for kickstarting his career. However, after “countless” losses, Sofronio decided to move to the U.S. to finish dental school.

“Now that I’m thinking about it, I realized that if not for dentistry, I would not be in America,” he told Vogue Philippines. “Because the main purpose of me coming to America is to do dental school. I wasn’t able to finish [reviewing for my board exam] in the Philippines because I was doing Tawag ng Tanghalan.“

I was doing my reviews, and when I passed that [Tawag ng Tanghalan] audition, my reviews got cut off. After that competition, I thought maybe music is not for me anymore.

Sofronio asked his dad to pick which college degree he should pursue, saying: “My dad had an ambition: he wanted to provide us a beautiful profession because they were poor. My grandmother and grandfather worked in the market.”

Sofronio Vasquez Almost Turned His Back On Music Before Auditioning For The Voice

Sofronio Vasquez Was Working As A Dental Assistant When He Auditioned For The Voice

via Instagram/@sofroniovasquez

Sofronio revealed to Vogue Philippines that he was “already working as a dental assistant” when he found out that The Voice was open for virtual auditions. “My professor told me, you’re always singing,” he said of that time. “And randomly, I just happened to see a post: virtual auditions for The Voice, so I signed up.”

“Now, I’m here. Everything was falling into place,” Sofronio continued. The musician went on to share that he was “nervous” during the auditions, especially after numerous rejections back in the Philippines. “I was really nervous, because I tried for The Voice in the Philippines and I had no chairs,” he recalled.

Although he said his relationship with his coach, Michael, was “perfect,” he admitted he was “intimidated by him” at first. “I was intimidated by him because he’s my idol, I always sing his songs back home,” Sofronio said.

I thought that if I worked with someone who’s very intimidating, I cannot show off my full potential.

Fast-forward to their preparation for the finale, Michael said: “As a coach, [Michael is] very personal with the song choices, the arrangements, especially with this finale song set. I have full trust in Michael’s choices for me.” And what a success this duo was!

As the winner of The Voice Season 26, Sofronio gets a recording contract and a $100,000 cash prize.