Identity of Fishball Warrior Finally Revealed
ALVIN KARINGAL – The man who went viral as the “Fishball Warrior” has been identified as Alvin Karingal, a former candidate for Manila mayor—not an actual fishball vendor, as many initially believed. His sudden rise to online fame began during an anti-corruption rally at Luneta Park in Manila on September 21, 2025.
While most protesters were rallying against corruption, Alvin had a different cause. He passionately shouted for the lowering of prices of popular street foods like fishball, kwek-kwek, kikiam, calamares, and tokneneng. Videos of him crying out, “Ibaba ang presyo ng fishball! Ibaba ang presyo ng kikiam, fishball, tokneneng, kwek kwek, calamares!!” quickly went viral, earning him the nickname “Fishball Warrior.”
However, just hours after his video spread online, another image of Alvin began circulating. This time, he was seen with a torn shirt while being restrained by a police officer. This sparked concern and questions from the public about what had happened to him.
The mystery was partly solved when Alvin’s mother, Mean Karingal, spoke in an interview with News5. Mean revealed that Alvin is a person with a disability (PWD) due to a mental health condition, specifically schizophrenia. She clarified that Alvin was never a fishball vendor but occasionally helped her sell peanut butter and biscuits.
Mean expressed deep concern about her son’s safety, saying she saw signs he may have been hurt during the protest, including bruises and scratches. She also worried that he had not eaten or taken his medication since his arrest. Alvin relies on daily medication to manage his condition after being confined twice in a mental health facility.
Further investigation revealed that this was not Alvin’s first time in the public eye. On October 1, 2024, he was among the first to file a certificate of candidacy for Manila mayor, running alongside well-known figures like Isko Moreno, Honey Lacuna, and Sam Verzosa. Before this, Alvin had gone missing on August 30, 2024, due to mental health struggles, prompting his family to seek help finding him.