In a video statement, Ateneo Blue Eagles Head Coach Tab Baldwin broke his silence regarding the tragic deaths of two of his players, Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili. Speaking directly to the grieving families, Baldwin expressed immense sorrow, grief, and a heavy burden of remorse over the loss.
The tragedy unfolded during what was supposed to be a routine training run in water the team believed was shallow, before it quickly turned dangerous. Despite the desperate efforts of the coaching staff and the players themselves to ensure everyone made it safely back to shore, they were unable to save Baterbonia and Adiliz Baldwin described the horrific realization of their loss as a “descent into the darkest place imaginable”.
Throughout the statement, Baldwin repeatedly apologized to the families of the victims. He acknowledged the profound trust parents place in coaches to look after their children’s well-being, admitting, “And in this, I feel I’ve failed. And I’m sorry. To the depth of my being, I’m sorry”. Baldwin confessed that in the aftermath of the tragedy, he felt he had failed not only as a leader and a coach but also as a friend to the two young men.
While mourning the loss of the boys he had hoped to help develop into future professionals, Baldwin emphasized that his own grief is “insignificant” compared to the lifelong pain now carried by the victims’ parents. “Never again would Rene’s mother and father and family, never again would Devina’s family be able to talk to their son or touch their son,” he said.
In the wake of the tragedy, the head coach is turning to his faith and urging the public to do the same. He asked the community and the nation to bind together and pray for the boys, as well as for peace, comfort, and “some sense of sanity” for their grieving families.
Concluding his statement, Baldwin offered a profound apology to anyone feeling let down or betrayed by the incident. He pleaded for forgiveness for those who “tried so desperately hard to reach a better outcome” and expressed his hope that the community can eventually find a pathway forward to hope and love.
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