Daven Tamayo

Ateneo Blue Eagles team captain Ian Espinosa remembers Divine Adili, Rene Baterbonia

Article (news)

Paige Javier

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1784277122323HNZz4okaAAAsm7F.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Ateneo Blue Eagles team captain Ian Espinosa. Courtesy/Ateneo de Manila University</div>MANILA – Ateneo Blue Eagles team captain Ian Espinosa paid tribute to his teammates, the late Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia, as the university marked the 40th day since their passing. Espinosa spoke before the community during the memorial mass at the Church of the Gesù on Friday morning.  &quot;I don’t understand why God took them [Adili and Baterbonia] so soon. I don&#x27;t think I ever will. But I trust that they are with Him now,&quot; he started his message.  The Ateneo guard fondly remembered his excitement when he found out Baterbonia, who hails from Talacogon, Agusan del Sur, will be joining their team.&quot;Bobet, alam mo tuwang-tuwa ako palagi kapag meron akong bagong kakampi na galing province kasi merong instant connection palagi. Kaya sobrang tuwa ako when I found out na nag-commit ka sa Ateneo,&quot; Espinosa said.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/7/17/ateneo-marks-40th-day-since-deaths-of-student-athletes-divine-adili-and-rene-baterbonia-1442">READ: Ateneo marks 40th day since deaths of student-athletes Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia </a></div>&quot;Kaya nung dumating ka dito sa Ateneo, sinundo kita sa IRH lobby at tinour pa kita sa dorm. Sinabihan pa kita, &#x27;pag may kailangan ka, nasa fifth floor lang ako,&quot; he added. Espinosa, formerly from Ateneo de Iloilo, said he can relate to fellow student-athletes who move from the province to pursue a basketball career in Metro Manila.&quot;Alam namin na may comfort sa mga taong maka-relate ka, makaintindi sa mga pinanggagalingan mo. Galing din ako sa province at pumunta ng Manila para habulin ang pangarap. Alam ko kung gaano kahirap magsimula sa bagong environment, malayo sa pamilya at mga kaibigan,&quot; he shared.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/13/nbi-recommends-raps-vs-individuals-tagged-in-baterbonia-adili-deaths-1114">READ: NBI recommends charges vs Baldwin, others tagged in Baterbonia, Adili deaths </a></div>What impressed Espinosa most about Baterbonia was his humility despite his talent, a quality commonly shared by those who knew and admired the Agusan del Sur native.&quot;Maraming humahanga sa&#x27;yo dahil sa talent mo. Ang napansin ko sa&#x27;yo sobrang humble mo. Napaka-approachable at totoo sa kung sino ka,&quot; he said.The Ateneo team captain laments not being able to spend more time with Baterbonia both and off the court.&quot;I was really looking forward to share the court with you. Excited akong to compete alongside you and achieve our dreams together. &#x27;Di ko talaga ma-imagine &#x27;yung pangarap na &#x27;yun ay hanggang pangarap na lang,&quot; Espinosa said.&quot;Sobrang hirap at sakit knowing we’ll never get the chance to see the player you were becoming, the teammate you would have been. We were all looking forward to see what you would become,&quot; he added.<div> </div><div>HUMBLE, DEPENDABLE DIVINE</div>Espinosa remembered his teammate Adili, whom he got to share the court with during the UAAP Season 88 Men&#x27;s Basketball tournament last year.Underneath his towering presence, Espinosa said Adili was a humble and kind soul.  The Nigerian big man&#x27;s teammates, friends and family would often refer to him as a &#x27;gentle giant&#x27; on and off the court.&quot;Sobrang galing na tao [ni Divine] pero kahit kailan hindi siya nagkaroon ng ere. He treated everyone with kindness and respect,&quot; Espinosa shared.  &quot;Si Divine kahit pumasok lang sa isang kwarto, somehow napapagaan niya agad &#x27;yung atmosphere. Comfortable lahat pag andiyan siya. He was selfless, palagi siyang handang makinig, handang tumulong. At never siyang nagdadalawang isip ibigay ang oras niya para sa iba,&quot; he said.As a teammate, Espinosa said he had high hopes for Adili, who he described as &quot;one of the toughest people&quot; he knew.Adili was dealing with a lingering back injury during Season 88, showing promise in his performance during his return last November 5.  &quot;D, I know I was hard on you sometimes. But maybe harder than most. I hope you knew it was because I believed in you. I knew how good you were,&quot; Espinosa said.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/24/ateneo-basketball-player-rene-baterbonia-laid-to-rest-1113">READ: Ateneo basketball player Rene Baterbonia laid to rest </a></div>&quot;Last season he played through injuries and challenges most people never even saw. There were moments when he could have taken the easy way out. But that wasn&#x27;t who he was. He kept showing up, he kept fighting, he kept believing,&quot; he shared.Espinosa ended his message, vowing to carry the legacy of Adili and Baterbonia, whether during games or in their daily lives.&quot;40 days later, I am still heartbroken. None of us expected this and we miss you guys so much. You guys weren&#x27;t just teammates to me, you were my brothers. And that&#x27;s how I will remember both of you,&quot; he said. &quot;I still miss you every day. I&#x27;ve come to accept that it [the pain] isn&#x27;t going away, and maybe it&#x27;s not supposed to. Maybe that&#x27;s what it means to love someone. You carry them with you and you keep praying for them,&quot; Espinosa shared. The Ateneo Blue Eagles and members of the community present during the memorial mass offered flowers and prayers to Adili and Baterbonia.&quot;Divine and Rene, we entrust you to God. You&#x27;ll be with him, rest in his peace. You&#x27;ve fought the One Big Fight. We&#x27;re going to be okay down here. We&#x27;ll keep fighting the way you taught us to,&quot; he said.&quot;We&#x27;ll hold on to the promise that this isn&#x27;t goodbye forever. That one day, by God&#x27;s grace we&#x27;ll all be together again. Until then, watch us over from Heaven. We&#x27;ll always carry a piece of you with us. You&#x27;ll always be part of this team and you&#x27;ll always be one of us,&quot; Espinosa shared.Adili and Baterbonia died due to drowning in a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora last June 8.The remains of the student-athletes were laid to rest in their respective hometowns in Nigeria and Agusan del Sur last month. The National Bureau of Investigation has recommended the filing of criminal charges against resigned head coach Tab Baldwin and 11 others in relation to the deaths of the student-athletes. The DOJ earlier said the recommendations from the NBI and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) have been consolidated.  No cases have been filed in court as of this writing.

Ateneo Blue Eagles team captain Ian Espinosa paid tribute to his teammates, the late Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia, as the University marked the 40th day since their passing.

Ateneo Blue Eagles team captain Ian Espinosa paid tribute to his teammates, the late Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia, as the University marked the 40th day since their passing.