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At the age of 66, professional pool player Efren “Bata” Reyes is alive and kicking, as evidenced by a video shared by his daughter, Chelo Reyes, last Saturday, January 16.

The video came about after fake news peddlers shared that The Magician is already dead on social media.

“Sa mga nagsye-share at nakakabasa nga mga lumalabas na balitang patay na si tatay, huwag po kayong maniwala,” Chelo said on Facebook.

“Fake news lang po 'yan… Diyos na bahala sa inyong [nagpakalat] ng ganyang balita. #DiNakakatuwa.”

Along with the post are two videos of Efren -- one lounging on his sofa while watching television, and the other, a video of himself playing pool.

“Okay lang ako!” he shouted in one.

Efren says on the other short clip, “Eto po ako, buhay na buhay!”

Efren “Bata” Reyes is a Filipino pool player with over 70 international titles under his belt. He is the first player to win world championships in two different pool disciplines.

Among his many accolades, Efren is a four-time World Eight-ball champion, the winner of the 1999 WPA World Nine-ball Championships, a three-time US Open winner, a two-time World Pool League winner, and a 14-time Derby City Classic Winner.

So-called “The Magician,” many analysts, fans, and players consider Efren to be one of the greatest pool players of all time, leading him to become the face of the sport in the Philippines and a mentor to many pool players of the national team.

Efren's last competition was in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, where he took home the bronze medal in the one-cushion carom event.

This isn't the first time a sporting legend became the attention of a death hoax.

In 2017, legendary Filipino track star Lydia de Vega became a target of a similar hoax, which she denied to be “so fake.”

Aside from Efren and Lydia, celebrities have been victims of a death hoax. The list includes Michael V., Sharon Cuneta, Ely Buendia, and so much more. Take a look at the gallery below: