MANILA, Philippines — The lawyer representing the family of one of two Ateneo de Manila University basketball players who died during a team-building activity in Aurora has asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to place head coach Thomas Anthony “Tab” Baldwin under an immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO).
Israelito Torreon, counsel for the family of Rene Baterbonia, filed the request before Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida as authorities continued to investigate the deaths of Baterbonia and teammate Divine Adili during a team activity in Dipaculao, Aurora on June 8.
Torreon said Baldwin may have information that could assist investigators in determining the chain of decisions that led to the incident, including the planning, approval, supervision, and safety arrangements for the activity.
The request noted that Baldwin's knowledge could be relevant in clarifying who organized the event, what precautions were undertaken, whether participants were adequately briefed on potential risks, and what emergency measures were prepared.
The lawyer's move came after Vida ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to create a special task force to conduct a full-scale probe into the deaths of the two student-athletes and identify possible liabilities.
Under DOJ rules, an ILBO serves as a monitoring mechanism that alerts authorities when a person covered by the order departs the country and provides information on the individual's destination and purpose of travel.
The issuance of an ILBO, however, does not restrict international travel. A person may only be barred from leaving the country through a hold departure order issued by a court.
Government investigators are currently examining the circumstances surrounding the team-building activity, including compliance with safety protocols and the actions of those responsible for organizing and overseeing the event.
