The untimely and tragic passing of Ateneo de Manila University’s (ADMU) Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili has shaken the nation to its core. Overnight, issues concerning the Senate and the imminent impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte have been overtaken by the recent tragedy.
After all, a renowned institution had suddenly become responsible for the deaths of individuals so young—let alone when little has been confirmed about the events leading up to the incident, with speculations of intent, dangerous training conditions, and criminal liability at play.
In response to the brutal yet warranted public outcry for transparency and accountability, Ateneo has instead opted to go by the book: corporate apologies and statements, independent fact-finding bodies, and silence from those present in Dipaculao, Aurora.
To an extent, the decision is cut and dry—a conscious choice to let unbiased investigators come to their own conclusions, and avoid adding to the noise. But for the families of Baterbonia and Adili, the general public, and even those within ADMU, the silence has been not only damning but inappropriate for a tragedy whose blame solely rests on them.
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Distance over accountability, procedure over compassion
To say the facts surrounding Baterbonia and Adili’s passing are disjointed and confusing is an understatement. On one hand, ADMU claims to have been coordinating with the families of the players; however, Rene’s mother, Rovelyn Baterbonia, claims otherwise.
“I still haven’t seen my son’s body. No one has shown me a photo or any proof that he is really gone. We were never asked for permission before information was shared publicly. Up to now, we still have not been told exactly what happened or where my son is,” shared Rovelyn in a Facebook post.
Meanwhile, on top of widespread clamor for answers, ADMU instead shared that they asked coach Tab Baldwin to remain quiet amid ongoing investigations. “At a time when our priority was caring for those most directly affected, we believed it was neither appropriate nor helpful to ask Coach Baldwin to engage in public commentary while the community was mourning and while the circumstances surrounding the incident were still being examined,” shared the university in a statement.
In an open letter addressed to the ADMU administration by the school’s alumni, students, athletes, organizations, and faculty, they asked for a simple, human response: “We echo the calls of our beloved educators in urging the University leadership to show up in person, not just in statements. To grieve with the families. To take responsibility for what has happened.”
Instead, when five members of the ADMU men’s basketball team management were subpoenaed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), only a team of lawyers was present to explain the incident.
The irony piles on when ADMU itself advocates for cura personalis (which translates to care for the whole person)—they instead chose cold, calculating, legal-minded responses over simply taking accountability. Case in point, it took Baldwin over a week before finally coming forward with his own statement and apology—even that didn’t have any of the answers both families and the people have been looking for.
And now, as of June 15, he’s also resigned from his post. “We thank him for the years of service to the Blue Eagles. But as we enter a period of deep institutional review, change in leadership is necessary to ensure the full integrity of our sports programs and safety protocols covering them,” said ADMU president Fr. Roberto Yap, SJ, in a press conference on June 15.
“We must look inward, examine our systems, and rebuild the structures of our athletic programs so that our fields and playing courts will be places where dreams are nurtured, not broken,” he added.
By this point, no one would have expected Baldwin to still be the ADMU men’s basketball team head coach following this tragedy. But stepping down as the investigation is still going is something else entirely.
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Nothing to be correct about
“The few public updates were not because we did not care for the bereaved families. We believe—and continue to believe—that public relations or institutional noise should not intrude upon a family’s grief,” said Yap in the June 15 press conference. “We are truly sorry for not being quick at informing the public of the developments, which has led to perceptions of inaction. We focus on being present for the grieving families in their darkest hour,” he added.
Again, corporate apologies and independent fact-finding bodies, all while waiting for due process to take its course. But when ADMU claims their silence comes with care for those who are most affected—and when the families of Baterbonia and Adili are the very ones asking for them to speak up, who are they really protecting? From where we’re standing, their silence does not have them in mind.
