Malacañang seeks probe into deaths of two Ateneo basketball players

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.

Malacañang has called for a swift investigation into the deaths of two student-athletes of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) who passed away after drowning during an off-campus team-building activity.

 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 Monday (June 8, 2026) during the Blue Eagles' swimming activity in  Dipaculao, Aurora province.

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

In a press briefing on Thursday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed concerned government agencies to determine the circumstances behind the deaths of the two players of the ADMU men's basketball team.

“Unang-una po, of course, nakikiramay po tayo sa pangyayaring ito at ang nais din po ng Pangulo, hindi lamang po ‘to sa sitwasyon na ganito pero sa lahat po ng mga Pilipino na napupunta sa ganitong klaseng sitwasyon – dapat pong agaran ang pag-iimbestiga (First of all, we extend our condolences over this incident, and the President's directive, not only in situations like this but in all similar cases involving Filipinos, is that investigations must be conducted immediately),” Castro said.

“Kailangan po talaga ng agarang pag-iimbestiga rito dahil hindi po naging maganda ang naging resulta ng sinasabing training. Of course, hindi po natin kailangang i-preempt or mag-pre-judge dito so kailangan po talaga ng agarang imbestigasyon (There must be an immediate investigation because the reported training did not end well. We should not preempt or prejudge the matter, which is why a thorough investigation is necessary),” she said, according to a report of the government's Philippine News Agency. 

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Manila also issued a statement after the death of its citizen, Adili, who started playing for Ateneo in 2025 during Season 88 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). Baterbonia, on the other hand, was set to debut this year during Season 89 of the UAAP.

"The Embassy has been in direct contact with the family of the deceased, Ateneo de Manila University, law enforcement agencies, and other relevant authorities. The family has requested that an autopsy be conducted before arrangements for the repatriation of Mr. Adili's remain to Nigeria are finalized, " the embassy said.

It also appealed to the Nigerian community to refrain from speculating and sharing unverified information on social media.

The Philippines' National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)  on Monday said it deployed a task force in compliance with a directive from the Department of Justice even though the Aurora Police Provincial Office initially reported that there were no signs of foul play.

In a statement, the NBI said “no foul play” indicates only the absence of intentional harm and does not determine whether there was negligence.

Under Philippine law, deaths caused by reckless or simple imprudence may constitute a criminal matter even without intent to harm, the NBI explained.

SUBPOENA VS. ATENEO COACH

On Facebook, the Guidon, the official publication of ADMU, said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has issued a subpoena against Tab Baldwin, an American-New Zealander who has been  the ADMU Men’s Basketball Team head coach since 2015. 

Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino on Thursday said Baldwin has been ordered to appear before DOLE on Monday (June 15, 2026) to determine if he has a valid Alien Employment Permit.

“No foreign national working in this country is above the law, regardless of the status, reputation or the institution they represent,” Tolentino said.

APOLOGY NOT ENOUGH, BATERBONIA'S MOTHER SAYS

Also on a post on Facebook, the Guidon, on Wednesday, said Rovelyn Baterbonia, the mother of Rene Clert, said Ateneo had already apologized to her but that it was not enough.

Citing a media interview, the Guidon reported that Baterbonia's mother said, "“Humingi din [ang Ateneo] ng sorry sa akin, pero 'yun, sabi ko, hindi maibabalik [ng] sorry 'yung anak ko. Hindi na mabubuhay ‘yung anak ko sa sorry n'yo. Bigyan n'yo na lang ako ng clear na explanation na maano ko sa sarili ko na matanggap ko na aksidente lang talaga.”

Rovelyn said her son’s body had bruises when she saw him. She said she wants a clearer explanation on what happened to her son.

Rene’s former coach Jess Evangelio said that there were no weights involved in the student-athletes’ drowning, contrary to some social media posts.

Paraluman News has reached out to Evangelio for comment but has yet to receive a reply.

APPEAL FROM LAWMAKERS

Meanwhile, senators Robinhood “Robin” Padilla and Bam Aquino have separately filed or are preparing to file resolutions calling for Senate inquiries into the deaths of Baterbonia and Adili.

Padilla is set to formally file a resolution seeking an inquiry, in aid of legislation, once the Senate’s Legislative Bills and Index Service (LBIS) resumes accepting submissions. 

He said the incident highlights the need to reassess whether existing policies on supervision, emergency preparedness, and risk management for school-related activities are sufficient to ensure student safety.

“Napakasakit ng nangyari kina Rene at Divine. Mga kabataang puno sila ng pangarap at may maliwanag na kinabukasan. Utang natin sa kanilang mga pamilya, sa kanilang mga paaralan, at sa lahat ng estudyanteng Pilipino na tiyaking mabibigyan natin ng kasagutan ang mga nangyari at mapapalakas ang mga hakbang para hindi na ito maulit sa iba,” Padilla said.

Under his proposed resolution, the appropriate Senate committee or committees will be asked to conduct a motu proprio inquiry to determine what happened and to identify possible legislative reforms that could strengthen safeguards for students participating in school-organized activities.

Meanwhile, Senator Bam Aquino has also filed a separate resolution seeking a Senate inquiry into the same incident, calling for a thorough examination of safety standards and accountability mechanisms for off-campus school activities and sports programs.

In his resolution, Aquino said the deaths warrant a careful and impartial investigation not only to determine accountability where necessary, but also to draw lessons that could prevent similar tragedies.

“The deaths of Rene Clert Baterbonia and Divine Adili demand a careful and impartial examination of the circumstances that led to the incident, not only to ensure accountability where warranted, but above all to draw lessons that may help prevent the loss of young lives in the future and to provide their families and the public with a full and truthful account of what transpired,” Aquino said.

Aquino, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, is also pushing broader measures to strengthen school safety standards, including provisions under his proposed School Safety Act.

Both Aquino and Padilla have visited Arlington Memorial Chapels to pay respect to Baterbonia.

Aquino’s resolution seeks to examine whether existing laws and institutional policies governing school-organized activities are sufficient and properly enforced, particularly in relation to off-campus training, sports, and team-building activities.

It also proposes a review of safeguards such as parental consent requirements, safety protocols, supervision, emergency response measures, coordination with local authorities, and post-incident accountability mechanisms.

He noted that both student-athletes represented the aspirations of young Filipinos balancing academics and sports, describing their deaths as a loss felt beyond the basketball community.

-Veronica Pulumbarit/Paraluman News