Romwel Anzures

Ateneo de Manila University head coach Tab Baldwin in UAAP Season 88. File photo/UAAP Media.

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ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781248891884UAAP S88 MBB - ATENEO vs. ADU - ATENEO Coach Tab Baldwin - 1754.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Ateneo de Manila University head coach Tab Baldwin in UAAP Season 88. File photo/UAAP Media.</div>MANILA (UPDATED) — Ateneo de Manila University men’s basketball team head coach Tab Baldwin has finally broken his silence on the tragic deaths of Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/6/8/uaap-ateneo-s-adili-baterbonia-pass-away-in-drowning-incident-1959">READ: Ateneo’s Adili, Baterbonia pass away in drowning incident</a></div>In a pre-recorded video, Baldwin lamented how he failed as the leader of the Blue Eagles which led to the unfortunate passing of two cornerstones of their program on Monday afternoon during a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora.“I failed as a leader. I felt I had failed as a coach. I certainly felt like I had failed as a friend to Divine and Rene,” said Baldwin. “I&#x27;m sorry. To the depth of my being, I&#x27;m sorry.”Expressing “immense grief and immense remorse,” Baldwin asked forgiveness from the parents and families of Adili and Baterbonia, who have been desperate for the truth and details since the incident transpired.“I&#x27;ve known since the moment that I was told that our boys had passed away, that no matter the magnitude of our grief, there were two families that experienced a loss that was so much greater than ours, and a loss that would stay with them in the most acute way for the remainder of their lives,” he said.“Never again would Rene&#x27;s mother and father and family, never again would Devine&#x27;s family be able to talk to their son or touch their son,” the American-Kiwi coach added,Baldwin also reflected on how this tragedy halted his chance to contribute to the development of Adili and Baterbonia as players and as individuals.“Yes, as a coach, I lost my boys too. Never again would I be able to help them develop into the basketball player they wanted to be, to help them grow into the young man that they promised that they could be,” he said. Baldwin, however, acknowledged that this is not comparable to what the concerned families have lost. “That&#x27;s insignificant compared to what your families are experiencing,” he said. “As a coach, we are entrusted with the development of these young men into future professionals. But mostly, as a coach, I&#x27;m entrusted by you, the parents and the families, with first and foremost, their well-being.””And in this, I failed.”Prior to this video, calls for accountability from Baldwin and Ateneo have continued to grow in recent days, with even Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio calling him out in a statement.Ateneo previously clarified that it was the one that requested Baldwin refrain from making public statements &quot;to allow the official processes to proceed and the facts to be established before any public discussion of the matter.&quot;The school also previously said that both Baldwin and team manager Epok Quimpo are &quot;on leave&quot; as it investigates the incident.<div>WATCH:<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q6dGkiMTes0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></div>

Ateneo de Manila University men’s basketball team head coach Tab Baldwin has finally broken his silence on the tragic deaths of Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia.

Ateneo de Manila University men’s basketball team head coach Tab Baldwin has finally broken his silence on the tragic deaths of Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia.

‘I failed as a leader, as a coach,’ says Baldwin as he breaks silence on Adili, Baterbonia’s deaths

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‘I failed as a leader, as a coach,’ says Baldwin as he breaks silence on Adili, Baterbonia’s deaths

Rom Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 12, 2026 07:35 PM PHT

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Updated June 12, 2026 08:19 PM PHT

Read More:

Basketball

PBA

UAAP

ABSSports

Ateneo

Ateneo Blue Eagles

Ateneo de Manila University

Rene Baterbonia

Tab Baldwin

Divine Adili

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