Metro Manila, Philippines – Ateneo de Manila University men’s basketball team head coach Tab Baldwin and team manager Epok Quimpo have gone on leave pending inquiries on the deaths of cagers Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili, the university announced on Thursday, June 11.
The school management said it is cooperating fully with all government bodies and their respective investigations into the incident. The school has launched an internal probe.
“The inquiry will exhaustively examine the circumstances surrounding the incident, reconstruct a transparent timeline, review all athletic protocols, and interview every individual present,” Ateneo said in a statement.
The school also shared a brief recollection of what happened before the deaths of Baterbonia and Adili.
“Based on what we have gathered from those present, on Monday, 8 June 2026, the team was engaged in a conditioning exercise in knee-deep water near the shoreline when they were suddenly engulfed by massive waves and a powerful rip current,” the university said.
“While most of the players managed to fight their way back to safety, Rene and Divine were pulled away. We state categorically, to protect the dignity of our fallen players, that no weights of any kind were used during this exercise,” it added.
The statement referred to online rumors that the players had weights attached to them as part of the beach training.
The university said it expressed solidarity with the bereaved families and teammates of the two young cagers.
“No words can heal the void left by this tragedy, and our immediate, absolute priority remains enveloping their grieving families with the material, emotional, and pastoral support they need during this time of unimaginable pain,” the school said.
A number of government agencies have launched their investigation, including the Department of Interior and Local Government and the National Bureau of Investigation.
Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment issued a show cause order to Baldwin, the team’s coach since 2015, to investigate his alien employment permit.
READ: DOLE files show cause order vs. Tab Baldwin; gov’t to probe Ateneo drowning
