Amid growing calls for him to break his silence, Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) clarified that it had requested Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin to refrain from making public statements about the drowning incident.
The statement came after Filipinos called for Baldwin to speak out following the deaths of two members of his team, 19-year-old Rene Baterbonia and 21-year-old Divine Adili, during a school-sanctioned team-building activity on Monday, June 8.
Baterbonia, who hailed from Agusan del Sur, was about to make UAAP debut in Season 89, while Adili was a Nigerian import, helped the team get off to an impressive start in Season 88.
The students drowned after being swept away by strong currents during an activity conducted about 300 meters from the beachfront of a resort in Dipaculao, Aurora.
According to reports, police said members of the team had “asked to be alone” and “not to be disturbed” during their activity. The resort owner also said participants had been advised beforehand about the sea conditions.
The incident sparked public outrage, particularly after past interviews with former Atenean basketball players resurfaced. In those interviews, some former players recounted experiencing near-drowning incidents during similar team activities.
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Calls for Baldwin to address the incident grew in the days that followed, as the annual activity, described as a “bootcamp,” was reportedly introduced during his tenure as head coach of the Ateneo men’s basketball team.
Rovelyn Baterbonia, Rene’s mother, was told that such activities have been in place since 2017.
The “bootcamp” had been cited as one of the factors behind Ateneo’s success during its championship years under Baldwin, particularly by players who were part of the Blue Eagles’ run of three consecutive UAAP titles from 2017 to 2019.
Baldwin, an American-New Zealander coach previously said he adopted the practice from legendary American college football coach Bear Bryant.
Meanwhile, Rovelyn said she had yet to hear from Baldwin, adding that she was not ready to face the head coach.
On Thursday, June 11, University President Fr. Roberto “Bobby” Yap said it had requested the longtime Blue Eagles coach to “refrain from making public statements to allow the official processes to proceed and the facts to be established before any public discussion of the matter.”
“In the immediate aftermath of this heartbreaking loss, our guidance to Coach Baldwin was to focus his attention on the emotional and psychological welfare of the players, coaches, and staff affected by the incident, while also attending to his own well-being as someone who is grieving alongside the rest of the community,” Yap said.
“At a time when our priority was caring for those most directly affected, we believed it was neither appropriate nor helpful to ask Coach Baldwin to engage in public commentary while the community was mourning and while the circumstances surrounding the incident were still being examined,” he added.
“His silence should therefore not be misconstrued as indifference or a lack of concern. Rather, it reflects the University’s decision to place care, healing, and due process ahead of public discussion,” he continued.
Yap said that the university “remains confident” that the truth will “provide the clarity and understanding that this tragedy demands.”
In a separate update on Thursday, June 11, Yap said the Ateneo Board of Trustees has mandated a “thorough fact-finding inquiry” into the tragedy, adding that Baldwin and Team Manager Christopher “Epok” Quimpo have gone on leave for the duration of the inquiry.
On the same day Ateneo announced that Baldwin had gone on leave, the coach was seen attending a candle-lighting vigil for Baterbonia and Adili at the Zen Garden with members of the Ateneo community.
Members of the Ateneo men’s basketball team also attended the vigil, according to an update from The GUIDON.
