Romwel Anzures

Ateneo de Manila University head coach Tab Baldwin. Screen capture from Facebook/ADMU.

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ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781270338005IMG_1167.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Ateneo de Manila University head coach Tab Baldwin. Screen capture from Facebook/ADMU.MANILA — As he finally broke his silence four days after the tragedy, Ateneo de Manila University men’s basketball head coach Tab Baldwin shared his account of the “routine training run” that eventually led to the deaths of Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia.</div><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/6/12/-i-failed-as-a-leader-as-a-coach-says-baldwin-as-he-breaks-silence-on-adili-baterbonia-s-death-1935">READ: ‘I failed as a leader, as a coach,’ says Baldwin as he breaks silence on Adili, Baterbonia’s deaths</a></div>“On that fateful day when we sent the players out for a routine training run in what we thought was shallow water, up to the moment when we realized that whatever had happened, they were in dangerous water, we did everything that we could as coaches,” Baldwin said in a pre-recorded video released by Ateneo on Friday evening.<div><a class="fr-green" 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>“As people responsible for that situation, the players themselves did everything they could to ensure that everybody arrived back on shore safely. And then we realized that we hadn&#x27;t accomplished that,” he added.The Philippine National Police (PNP) Aurora Provincial Office had said on Tuesday that the incident was a “natural accident,” with <a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/6/9/pnp-aurora-says-no-foul-play-in-drowning-of-ateneo-s-adili-baterbonia-1238">no traces of foul play</a> found in its initial investigation.Still, Baldwin acknowledged that nothing could undo what had happened.“In that moment, I experienced the descent into the darkest place imaginable,” he said. “And I knew at the same time that good people, people who had done an amazing job raising these two young men, were going to be in an even darker, more horrible place. At that moment, I felt I had failed.”The 68-year-old American-Kiwi coach also admitted that he felt he had fallen short in supporting the rest of the team in the aftermath of the tragedy.“When I later faced the team to try to be a leader in that moment, I felt that I failed them too,” he stressed.Earlier in the video, Baldwin expressed grief and asked for forgiveness from the parents and families of Adili and Baterbonia.He also leaned on his faith as he continued to process the incident.“That left me with really the only thing that I&#x27;ve been clinging to for the last several days — that, as part of a community of faith, we pray that the Lord embraces our two boys, that the Lord gives peace, comfort, and some sense of sanity to the Baterbonia and Adili families,” he said.“I continue to beseech everybody who cared for, loves, or loved Rene and Divine and their families: please keep praying. I think that my voice in prayer is hoarse now, but it will never be enough. So as we all try to move forward without Divine and Rene, I hope that in binding together as a community, as a basketball team, and as a nation, we lean on the one place that will never let us down. And that is our Lord,” he added.The former Gilas Pilipinas mentor, however, also faces scrutiny from authorities as investigations by both Ateneo and the government get underway.The Department of Labor and Employment has already summoned Baldwin to present proof of his alien employment permit. Meanwhile, Baterbonia’s legal representatives have sought a lookout bulletin against him from the Department of Justice.Baldwin along with team manager Epok Quimpo are on leave from thehir respective posts.

As he finally broke his silence four days after the tragedy, Ateneo men’s basketball head coach Tab Baldwin shared his account of the “routine training run” that led to the deaths of Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia.

As he finally broke his silence four days after the tragedy, Ateneo men’s basketball head coach Tab Baldwin shared his account of the “routine training run” that led to the deaths of Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia.

Baldwin speaks on ‘routine training run’ that led to deaths of Baterbonia, Adili

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Baldwin speaks on ‘routine training run’ that led to deaths of Baterbonia, Adili

Rom Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 12, 2026 10:01 PM PHT

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Updated June 13, 2026 02:39 PM PHT

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Basketball

PBA

UAAP

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Ateneo

Ateneo Blue Eagles

Ateneo de Manila University

Rene Baterbonia

Tab Baldwin

Divine Adili

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