Ateneo shuts down allegations on Coach Tab Baldwin’s silence following tragedy

• Father Roberto Yap explained Coach Tab Baldwin’s silence following Ateneo basketball tragedy
• Ateneo clarified that Coach Tab Baldwin was asked by the university not to make public statements
• The school said Baldwin was instructed to focus on supporting grieving players, coaches, and staff
• The deaths of Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili continue to draw tributes and calls for answers

Father Roberto Yap, SJ, president of Ateneo de Manila University, has clarified why longtime Blue Eagles coach Tab Baldwin has not publicly spoken about the deaths of Ateneo basketball players Rene Clert Baterbonia and Chukwuemeka Divine Adili.

The explanation comes amid growing public discussion surrounding the tragic incident in Dipaculao, Aurora, which claimed the lives of Baterbonia, 19, and Adili, 21, during a team-building activity on June 8.

In a statement, Fr. Yap stressed that Baldwin’s silence was not a personal choice but rather a decision made under the guidance of the university as various investigations and fact-finding efforts continue.

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“The University wishes to clarify that Coach Tab Baldwin’s silence following the tragedy was not a personal decision made independently of the University,” Yap said.

According to the university president, Ateneo specifically requested that Baldwin refrain from making public comments while authorities and the university worked to establish the facts surrounding the incident.

“The University requested that Coach Baldwin refrain from making public statements to allow the official processes to proceed and the facts to be established before any public discussion of the matter,” he explained.

Yap emphasized that in the days immediately following the tragedy, the university’s primary concern was the emotional and psychological well-being of those directly affected by the loss.

“In the immediate aftermath of this heartbreaking loss, our guidance to Coach Baldwin was to focus his attention on the emotional and psychological welfare of the players, coaches, and staff affected by the incident, while also attending to his own well-being as someone who is grieving alongside the rest of the community,” he said.

The university official noted that it would have been inappropriate to ask Baldwin to engage in public commentary while many members of the Ateneo community were still mourning and while inquiries into the circumstances of the incident remained ongoing.

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“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,” Yap added.

Yap also urged the public not to interpret Baldwin’s silence as a lack of concern or compassion.

“His silence should therefore not be misconstrued as indifference or a lack of concern. Rather, it reflects the University’s decision to place care, healing, and due process ahead of public discussion.”

The Ateneo president reiterated that the university remains committed to uncovering the truth and ensuring that all facts are properly established through the ongoing investigations.

“As the various inquiries proceed, the University remains confident that the truth, established through facts rather than speculation, will in due course provide the clarity and understanding that this tragedy demands,” he said.

The deaths of Baterbonia and Adili have deeply affected the Philippine basketball community. Tributes continue to pour in from athletes, coaches, students, alumni, and supporters both in the Philippines and overseas.

Baterbonia was regarded as one of the country’s rising basketball talents after emerging as the Most Valuable Player of the 2025 Palarong Pambansa while representing Ateneo de Davao. Adili, a Nigerian student-athlete, was a member of the Ateneo Blue Eagles men’s basketball team and had already competed in UAAP Season 88.

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Questions surrounding the circumstances of the tragedy have generated significant public attention, with many calling for transparency, accountability, and improvements to safety protocols involving student-athletes.

Earlier, Ateneo de Manila University released a comprehensive update on June 11 regarding the deaths of Blue Eagles players Rene Clert Baterbonia and Chukwuemeka Divine Adili. The university underscored its determination to establish the full truth behind the incident while continuing to provide financial, emotional, and pastoral support to the bereaved families. Ateneo also announced the formation of an independent fact-finding inquiry tasked with reviewing the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, examining safety procedures, and recommending appropriate actions moving forward.

In a previous report, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Manila released an official statement concerning the death of Chukwuemeka Divine Adili, one of the two Ateneo players who lost their lives during the June 8 incident in Dipaculao, Aurora. The embassy extended its condolences to Adili’s relatives, friends, teammates, and the broader Nigerian community. It also disclosed that it has been working closely with the family, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippine authorities, and other stakeholders while providing consular assistance during the ongoing investigation and preparations for the eventual repatriation of Adili’s remains to Nigeria.

Source: KAMI.com.gh