Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin, team manager Epok Quimpo resign after students' deaths

TRIGGER WARNING: This story mentions fatal drowning. According to the World Health Organization, three outcomes are possible from drowning: death, morbidity (sickness or injury), and no morbidity. WHO estimates that around 300,000 deaths occur worldwide every year from drowning.

A photo composite made by Paraluman News based on the screen grab of the photos of Rene Clert Baterbonia (left) from his Facebook page and Divine Adili from the UAAP Media Photos.

Thomas Anthony "Tab" Baldwin, the head coach of the Ateneo de Manila University's (ADMU) Men’s Basketball Team, and Epok Quimpo, team manager, have officially resigned from their posts on Monday (June 15, 2026), a week after two of their players drowned during an off-campus activity in Dipaculao, Aurora.

According to The Guidon, the official student publication of ADMU, the decision was announced by University President Roberto C. Yap, SJ, during a media conference.

Rene Clert Baterbonia, the Most Valuable Player in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa and his Nigerian teammate in the Ateneo Men's Basketball team, Divine Adili, died on June 8, 2026 during the Blue Eagles' training activity in a resort in Aurora province.

READ: Grief pours out over passing of 2025 Palarong Pambansa MVP and his Nigerian Ateneo teammate

Baldwin and three other team officials received subpoenas to appear before the fact-finding mission conducted by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police.

However, The Guidon said only University Athletic Director Emmanuel Fernandez attended the hearing.

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla warned that a second subpoena will be issued to the officials on Monday and will be expected to attend the next hearing on Friday (June 19, 2026).

The Guidon said only Baldwin's lawyer appeared before the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) which ordered the coach to present proof of his Alien Employment Permit.

Baldwin has led Ateneo to four titles in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). Before joining Ateneo, he coached the New Zealand’s Tall Blacks and led them to a fourth-place finish at the 2002 FIBA World Championship, the best by an Oceania team, and earning Hall of Fame honors in New Zealand.

Earlier, the National Bureau of Investigation, on orders from the Department of Justice, created a task force to investigate "all angles" including whether safety protocols were followed, and that there was no foul play as initial police findings showed.

"An event may be 'accidental' in the sense that no one wished it and yet remains the product of a failure to exercise the care the law demands," the NBI said in a statement.

READ: Malacañang seeks probe into deaths of two Ateneo basketball players

ATENEANS CALL FOR INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION

In a Facebook post, The Guidon said graduating Class of 2026, which will hold commencement exercises from June 19 to 21, has called for accountability and humanity after the deaths of Adili and Baterbonia.

The Ateneo Seniors’ Alliance (ASA) on Sunday (une 14, 2026) said Ateneo's “principles of care, love, and being men and women for others” compel them to call for justice for the athletes and support for the families they left behind.

ASA urged the Ateneo administration to conduct a full and independent investigation, face the athletes' families, provide them with sustained support, and review policies on athlete's safety and welfare.

“As Ateneans, we have walked out against corruption; walked out to celebrate democracy. [...] We stood with those calling for justice, [...] fought for good governance, and held the line for accountability when the nation’s institutions trembled amidst allegations of corruption. This time, we stand for two of our own,” the statement read.

As of 9:40 PM, 134 seniors, including ASA organizers and course representatives, signed the statement.

Paraluman News with a report from Nestor Corrales, editing by Ed Davies/Reuters