Head coach Tab Baldwin and team manager Epok Quimpo have already stepped down from their roles in the Ateneo De Manila University men’s basketball team following a drowning incident that led to the death of two players, namely Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili.
Fr. Bobby Yap, the university’s president, announced the development on Monday, exactly a week after the said tragedy that took place during a team-building event along the coast of Dipaculao, Aurora.
“We thank them for the years of service to the Blue Eagles, but as we enter a period of deep institutional review, a change in leadership is necessary to ensure the full integrity of our sports programs and safety protocols governing them. We must look inward, examine our systems, and rebuild the structures of athletic programs so that our fields and playing courts remain places where dreams are nurtured, not broken,” Yap said in a press conference inside the Ateneo campus in Quezon City.
He also apologized to the families of the fallen players, whose tragic passing, according to him, shattered the community.
“When a young man dies, we mourn both the loss of life and the shattering of dreams. We mourn the potential that won’t come true,” Yap continued, “To the families of Rene and Divine, we see you. We acknowledge the unbearable pain of your mourning. We know that the grief you carry right now is compounded, and the anger is entirely natural, justified, and deeply human. On behalf of Ateneo De Manila University, I’m here to say simply and directly, we are truly deeply sorry.”
Yap, however, clarified that the Baterbonias were quickly informed of the incident, contrary to Rovelyn Baterbonia’s claim that they were not given a quick notice.
“There was somebody from Ateneo who spoke to her on the very night it happened,” Yap said, although he did not delve further into the conversation.
He also said the university has yet to decide whether to skip the upcoming University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) season, which starts Sept. 12.
“Regarding the UAAP, wala pa kaming desisyon (we don’t have a decision yet),” Yap further said.
The 68-year-old Baldwin came to Ateneo in 2016, winning four UAAP titles, including a three-peat from 2017-2019, and two Philippine Collegiate Champions League national titles in 2018 and 2019.
On the other hand, Quimpo was a member of the 2002 men’s basketball team that ended a 14-year wait for a UAAP title before eventually moving to the corporate and team management field.
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