Camille Naredo

The Ateneo men's basketball team in UAAP Season 88. UAAP Media

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UAAP Season 88

Romwel Anzures

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781514401553UAAP88 MBB - COACH TAB BALDWIN-3106.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="The Ateneo men&#x27;s basketball team in UAAP Season 88. UAAP Media"/>The Ateneo men&#x27;s basketball team in UAAP Season 88. UAAP Media</div>MANILA — Ateneo de Manila University president Fr. Roberto Yap, SJ, provided some background on the team-building activity that preceded the deaths of Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili.Baterbonia, 18, and Adili, 21, lost their lives in a drowning incident on June 8 at a resort in Dipaculao, Aurora.<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>Yap said team-building activities for the Ateneo men’s basketball team have long been a tradition, even before newly resigned head coach Tab Baldwin took over the program.“Itong mga team-building na lumalabas sila, nangyayari na ’to sa panahon pa ni Coach Norman Black. Kay Coach Tab, panglimang bisita na ’to,” Yap said during a press conference on Monday.Before Baldwin officially took over in 2016, the Blue Eagles were handled by Norman Black and Bo Perasol.According to Yap, the tradition was interrupted only during the COVID-19 pandemic.“Tradisyon ’to, nahinto lang nung pandemic,” he said. “May isang linggo na pumunta sila doon. Team building ang ginagawa, training, conditioning, etc.”The latest team-building activity, however, ended in tragedy, with Baterbonia and Adili losing their lives.But when asked about the nature of the tradition, particularly in light of accounts from former players describing the team-building sessions as intense, Yap declined to elaborate.“Those things of concern are being looked into by the fact-finding body. Let’s give time for the fact-finding body to establish these things,” he said.A week later, Baldwin and team manager Christopher “Epok” Quimpo <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/6/15/ateneo-head-coach-tab-baldwin-resigns-in-wake-of-student-athletes-deaths-1424">resigned from their respective posts</a> as authorities continued their probes into the incident.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/15/ateneo-s-tab-baldwin-expected-to-face-cidg-labor-dept-0954">READ: Ateneo’s Tab Baldwin skips CIDG, DOLE hearings</a></div>The UAAP, the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) have launched separate investigations, while the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Interior and Local Government have also initiated proceedings related to the matter.

Ateneo de Manila University president Fr. Roberto Yap, SJ, provided some background on the team-building activity that preceded the deaths of Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili.

Ateneo de Manila University president Fr. Roberto Yap, SJ, provided some background on the team-building activity that preceded the deaths of Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili.

Ateneo says team-building ‘tradition’ predates Tab Baldwin era

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Ateneo says team-building ‘tradition’ predates Tab Baldwin era

Rom Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 15, 2026 05:07 PM PHT

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Updated June 15, 2026 06:03 PM PHT

Read More:

Basketball

PBA

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Ateneo

Ateneo Blue Eagles

Tab Baldwin

Ateneo de Manila University

Epok Quimpo

UAAP

Divine Adili

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