Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Ateneo de Manila University's Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia. Photos from UAAP Media/NBTC.

Article (news)

Ateneo de Manila University's Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia. Photos from UAAP Media/NBTC. 

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178118314977317811530385861781153037266.webp" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Ateneo de Manila University&#x27;s Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia. Photos from UAAP Media/NBTC. </span></span></span></div><div><strong>THE INCIDENT</strong></div><p>Ateneo de Manila University on Monday announced the deaths of basketball players Divine Adili and Rene Clert Baterbonia in a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora.</p><p>Local rescuers said they were alerted at 3:04 p.m. that the players were missing. They managed to reach the resort the team was staying in around six minutes later.</p><p>They searched the water, conducted patrols on foot and on an ATV and used a drone to initially look for one player before learning another one was missing.</p><p>Baterbonia was found first, around 3:40 p.m., with rescuers recovering Adili several minutes later. Both were around 50 meters from shore.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/6/11/how-rescue-efforts-for-ateneo-s-baterbonia-adili-unfolded-1244">Rescue leader recounts efforts to save Ateneo&#x27;s Baterbonia, Adili</a></div><p>The deaths have raised questions on safety and accountability in school-sponsored sports activities along with talk — since disputed by <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/10/no-weights-attached-to-drowned-ateneo-athletes-aurora-pnp-1101">the police</a> and <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/6/11/-no-weights-used-in-conditioning-exercise-in-knee-deep-water-says-ateneo-1622">by Ateneo</a> — that the players had been made to wear ankle weights in activities in the water.</p><p>Police have also since said that <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/11/strong-waves-carried-2-other-players-away-at-ateneo-team-building-aurora-police-1646">two other players had been carried away by the waves</a> but had managed to come back to shore.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>INVESTIGATIONS</strong></div><p>Resolutions have been filed at the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/10/house-probe-sought-into-safety-accountability-in-school-sports-programs-1101">House of Representatives</a> and at <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/11/senate-probe-sought-into-ateneo-player-s-death-0700">the Senate</a> for hearings to help ensure the safety of student athletes.</p><p>The National Bureau of Investigation is also conducting an investigation, saying Thursday that its initial finding that no foul play was involved only “speaks to the absence of intentional harm” but <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/11/nbi-reviewing-no-foul-play-finding-in-baterbonia-adili-deaths-1312">does not rule out potential liability due to negligence</a>.</p><p>The police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group has its own investigation into the deaths and said it has <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/11/persons-of-interest-identified-subpoenas-issued-in-probe-of-ateneo-players-drowning-1744">identified at least three persons of interest in the incident</a>.</p><p>It said Thursday it has issued subpoenas to at least 20 people, including players and coaches who were at the team-building activity.</p><p>The Department of Labor and Employment has also ordered Ateneo men&#x27;s basketball coach Tab Baldwin <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/11/dole-summons-ateneo-s-tab-baldwin-over-employment-permit-1319">to show proof that he can legally work in the Philippines</a>. </p><p>Lawyers for the Baterbonia family have meanwhile asked the Department of Justice to <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/6/11/baterbonia-counsel-seeks-immigration-lookout-bulletin-order-vs-ateneo-coach-baldwin-1215">issue an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order </a>to alert law enforcement agencies if the New Zealander-American tries to leave the country.</p><p>They said that Baldwin should stay in the Philippines to help with the investigations.</p><p>The Philippine Sports Commission has also formed <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/6/9/psc-forms-multi-stakeholder-body-after-death-of-ateneo-student-athletes-1140">a multi-stakeholder panel </a>to &quot;examine existing policies, protocols, and training practices toward resolutions to strengthen safeguards in athletic training environments.&quot;</p><p>Ateneo has also announced that its Board of Trustees has &quot;<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/11/ateneo-says-they-asked-tab-baldwin-to-refrain-from-speaking-publicly-after-adili-baterbonia-deaths-1828">mandated a thorough fact-finding inquiry</a>&quot; into the tragic deaths.</p><p>Baldwin and team manager Christopher &quot;Epok&quot; Quimpo have been <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/6/11/ateneo-says-baldwin-manager-epok-quimpo-on-leave-amid-probe-into-adili-baterbonia-deaths-1537">put on leave pending the results of that investigation</a> to &quot;preserve the total integrity, independence, and fairness, and to ensure all participants can cooperate freely without any actual or perceived pressure.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ATENEO, BALDWIN HIT FOR SILENCE ON DEATHS</strong></div><p>Ateneans on Wednesday held a small protest outside the Loyola Heights campus to call for accountability and for answers from the university administration, which alumni have also criticized for its handling of the incident.</p><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2064647760478081529&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-06-11T12%3A15%3A22.747220%3A3c5903d1-0575-40be-b926-7cfaa5bf9d9b%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=e5fad3d712e47702e44acc9a8797bc807d21934f&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:490px;height:663px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="2064647760478081529"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>More than 163 faculty members also called on the administration in a joint statement to be more transparent and accountable after the incident.</p><p>Among the questions the faculty members raised were whether the activity was held according to university regulations and if safety measures were in place for the players.</p><p>They also asked if the university had extended support to the families of the two players, to their teammates, and the community in general. </p><p>&quot;We appeal for greater clarity and transparency from the University administration,&quot; they also said.</p><p>Earlier Thursday, Ateneo said the administration had asked Baldwin to refrain from making public statements &quot;<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/11/ateneo-says-they-asked-tab-baldwin-to-refrain-from-speaking-publicly-after-adili-baterbonia-deaths-1828">to allow the official processes to proceed and the facts to be established before any public discussion of the matter.</a>&quot;</p><p>It also said they had advised the coach to focus on the welfare of the team&#x27;s players and coaching staff after the incident.</p><p>Aurora provincial police also said Thursday that <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/6/11/police-ateneo-s-baldwin-in-shock-unable-to-talk-to-probers-after-drowning-of-two-players-1410">Baldwin was in &quot;a state of shock&quot;</a> when they tried to get a statement from him after the incident earlier this week. <strong>— Jonathan de Santos, ABS-CBN News</strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GhAzUZ_IDBM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>The deaths of basketball players Divine Adili and Rene Clert Baterbonia have raised questions on safety and accountability in school-sponsored sports activities.</p>

The deaths of basketball players Divine Adili and Rene Clert Baterbonia have raised questions on safety and accountability in school-sponsored sports activities.

Drowning at Ateneo team-building activity: What we know so far

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Drowning at Ateneo team-building activity: What we know so far

ABS-CBN News

Published June 11, 2026 09:37 PM PHT

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Ateneo de Manila University

Rene Clert Baterbonia

Divine Adili

Dipaculao

Aurora

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