Camille Naredo

Ateneo's Divine Adili during UAAP Season 88. UAAP Media

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UAAP Season 88

Paige Javier

ABS-CBN News

MANILA – The family of the late Divine Adili said no words can undo what happened to the Nigerian big man, following the apology of Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin on Friday. Five days after the tragic incident that claimed the life of their son and his teammate Rene Baterbonia, the Adili family remains in the dark, hearing different stories. <div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/6/8/uaap-ateneo-s-adili-baterbonia-pass-away-in-drowning-incident-1959">READ: Ateneo&#x27;s Adili, Baterbonia pass away in drowning incident</a></div>&quot;You see, in this time of this kind of thing, [an] apology cannot do much because the damage has already been done. So if he says he&#x27;s sorry, okay, so be it,&quot; Elias told ABS-CBN News on Saturday. &quot;I think he was definitely saying [that] in his own interest and the interest of the school. But the only thing I have against him is that he has not reached out to the family directly,&quot; he added. The parents of Divine said they are open to talking to Baldwin, in the hopes of getting clarity on what led to the demise of their son. &quot;He ought to have called us, as the people involved. And not going through media or through the internet or whatever. He was supposed to reach us personally and then tell us because right now we are still in a state of confusion,&quot; Elias shared. The Adili patriarch said they are crying out for justice for their son, expressing disappointment with how they found out about his death. &quot;We are seeking for justice. Seeking for justice for them to do the right thing, to do the necessary, the needful, because the way we received the message, we are not happy, we are not comfortable with it,&quot; he said. &quot;We were not informed officially. We saw it on the internet before we started getting in touch from the Nigerian embassy, from the Ateneo, but we have seen it online already, which is not proper. That&#x27;s why we say we seek justice,&quot; Elias added. In his first public comments since the incident, Baldwin said on Friday that he had &quot;failed as a leader&quot; and &quot;failed as a coach.&quot;&quot;I certainly felt like I had failed as a friend to Divine and Rene,&quot; he said. &quot;I&#x27;m sorry. To the depth of my being, I&#x27;m sorry.&quot;<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" 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: &#x27;I failed as a leader, as a coach,&#x27; says Baldwin as he breaks silence on Adili, Baterbonia&#x27;s deaths</a></div>Divine&#x27;s mom said she would rather have a clear explanation, rather than an apology &quot;that does not make sense.&quot;&quot;Honestly, the highest thing that you can do is to apologize. But there is no amount of apologizing that can bring back Divine. It&#x27;s not as if I do not accept [the] apology. Meanwhile, the apology, that&#x27;s the highest thing that you can do. That&#x27;s why you&#x27;re supposed to prevent all these things,&quot; Ifeoma said. &quot;Because all these things that happen now can be avoided. It is negligence and carelessness. So, that is why we are supposed to be careful. Because when such things happen, it&#x27;s only sorry, apology. And the deed has been done. There is no amount of apology that can bring Divine back,&quot; she added. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781361422398UAAP88 MBB - DIVINE ADILI-3344.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Ateneo&#x27;s Divine Adili during UAAP Season 88. UAAP Media"/>Ateneo&#x27;s Divine Adili during UAAP Season 88. UAAP Media</div>The Adili matriarch again questioned why Ateneo did not inform them properly and why Baldwin would not directly speak with them after the incident. &quot;We are not comfortable with the way the news came to us. We have been saying this repeatedly. It doesn&#x27;t make sense. It&#x27;s supposed to tell us before the news starts flying on social media,&quot; she said.  &quot;Secondly, the coach, [we] did not have direct [contact] from him. That is from the assistant coach, maybe he was the one that sent him, I don&#x27;t know,&quot; Ifeoma added. <div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/6/12/baldwin-speaks-on-routine-training-run-that-led-to-deaths-of-baterbonia-adili-2201">READ: Baldwin speaks on &#x27;routine training run&#x27; that led to deaths of Baterbonia, Adili</a></div>Divine&#x27;s brother, Jesse Adili, has mixed feelings following Baldwin&#x27;s apology. &quot;Honestly, I can&#x27;t say I&#x27;m mad at Coach Tab. I don&#x27;t know what I&#x27;m feeling, honestly. But like you said, the highest you can do is to apologize. There&#x27;s no other amount of apology that&#x27;s going to reverse the thing that has been done,&quot; he said. As they continue to seek justice for their son, the parents of Divine are appealing to Ateneo to bring his body back &#x27;in good condition&#x27; as soon as possible. &quot;We would like them to please bring back the corpse in good condition. To us, down in Nigeria. So, we are begging Ateneo, as they are planning to bring him back to Nigeria, he should be in good condition. And also, they should know what to do,&quot; Ifeoma said. &quot;When the time comes, we want the body back. That is the one of the most important thing to us... Once he&#x27;s brought back, there are procedures to be followed with the church... the tradition of the people as well. And a lot of other things will follow. But let him come back first. Let him be brought back first,&quot; Elias pleaded. Adili&#x27;s remains are currently at the Ateneo college chapel, as the University held a memorial mass for him and Baterbonia on Saturday. The family welcomed the candlelight service and mass, where Divine&#x27;s teammates and close friends were given the opportunity to share fond memories with the &quot;gentle giant.&quot; <div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/6/13/kieffer-alas-on-divine-adili-he-genuinely-looked-out-for-people-2012">READ: Kieffer Alas on Divine Adili: &#x27;He genuinely looked out for people&#x27;</a></div>&quot;Yes, I&#x27;m aware of the candlelight [service], I&#x27;m aware of the happenings over there for now, I&#x27;m aware. And that is what they ought to do. It&#x27;s one of the things they ought to do. I think it&#x27;s to give the teammate the privilege to say him and wish him goodbye and may he rest in peace,&quot; Elias said. Adili&#x27;s loved ones are still waiting for the completion of documents before the return of his body to his home country where they will do traditional rites and lay him to rest.

The family of the late Divine Adili said no words can undo what happened to the Nigerian big man, following the apology of Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin on Friday.

The family of the late Divine Adili said no words can undo what happened to the Nigerian big man, following the apology of Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin on Friday.

Divine Adili's family on Tab Baldwin's apology: 'The damage has been done'

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Divine Adili's family on Tab Baldwin's apology: 'The damage has been done'

Paige Javier,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 13, 2026 11:47 PM PHT

Read More:

Basketball

Divine Adili

Rene Baterbonia

Ateneo Blue Eagles

Tab Baldwin

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