Philippine police investigate deaths of Ateneo basketball players in drowning tragedy

The deaths of two Ateneo de Manila University basketball players have pushed a campus tragedy into a wider examination of athlete welfare, supervision and accountability in Philippine sports. Rene Clert Baterbonia, 19, an incoming rookie from Agusan del Sur, and Divine Adili, 21, a Nigerian student-athlete who played in UAAP Season 88, died after being swept into deeper water by strong currents during a sea-based team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora.

The Department of Justice ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to form a special task force to examine the deaths and possible criminal liability, including whether safety protocols were followed and whether anyone may have been responsible for negligence. The Philippine Sports Commission separately assembled a multi-stakeholder body with the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, the Commission on Higher Education and the National Youth Commission to review policies, protocols and training practices around school sports programs.

The labor department said it would subpoena Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin, a foreign national employed in the Philippines, to appear before Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino on June 15, 2026, and present his valid Alien Employment Permit and records showing compliance with reporting requirements. The department also said it was seeking a written explanation of the June 8 activity, including the safety protocols and supervision arrangements, and was inspecting the resort in Dipaculao where the incident happened. Local authorities temporarily closed Hermanos Leisure and Farm Resort, and the resort owner and staff appeared before the NBI as part of the probe.

Ateneo said it was providing support to the victims’ families, teammates and other affected members of the university community, and that wake and funeral arrangements would be announced later in consultation with the families. Baldwin, who renewed his commitment to Ateneo in September 2025 through UAAP Seasons 89 to 91, and the basketball team’s manager took leave as the school conducted its own investigation.

Malacañang said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. wanted a swift and thorough investigation and cautioned against prejudging the case, while lawmakers moved toward a congressional inquiry. The deaths have become more than a single campus loss: they now stand as a test of how Philippine universities protect student athletes when training, travel and team bonding move beyond the gym and into uncontrolled environments.