MANILA, Philippines — Ifeoma Adili, mother of the late Ateneo men's basketball team member Divine Adili, said she appreciate the moment of silence offered to her son and Rene Baterbonia before the Blue Eagles - UE Red Warriors game in the UAAP Season 89 men's basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena Wednesday, September 16.
One hundred (100) days after the death of her son as well as Baterbonia, Ifeoma, who witnessed the game from the stands, couldn't help but wish she was watching her son play instead.
Ateneo blasted UE, 101-74, to start its campaign.
"I’m delighted to be here but I wish I am watching my son but I really appreciate what I see because I know that my son is there. Divine and Rene, they are there. They might be invisible but I know my son is there," said Ifeoma who watched the game with her husband and Divine's father Elias.
"But I wish I could come to the Philippines to watch my son play because that's what I've been desiring and I know my son desired that to bring us to the Philippines to come and watch him live though we have been watching every [one] of his games.
"We have been watching every [one] of his games since he came to the Philippines and he desired to bring us here but it's unfortunate that we come to Philippines to watch other teams, other [teammates] without him. But it's fine, it's good. God knows the best. Thank you."
Divine and Rene were supposed to play their sophomore and rookie seasons, respectively.
They drowned in Ateneo's team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora on June 8.
Ifeoma and Elias said Ateneo assisted them to come here in the Philippines primarily for "fact-finding", and it just happened that the Blue Eagles were playing so they decided to watch.
Ifeoma and Elias shared how they've been holding up since losing their 21-year-old Divine.
"Honestly, it has not been easy. I tried to move on. But honestly, it has not been easy for me. Even as I entered the Philippines, the moment I stepped in at the airport, I felt so emotional," said Ifeoma.
"I prayed to God to always, three days that we have been in the Philippines, I have been praying that God should give me the heart. I don't want to cry. But unfortunately today, the moment I stepped into the playground, I saw myself crying. But it's fine. Thank you."
Elias said there's nothing they can do to bring back their son to life, and they just have to live with the pain.
"Since the the date of the incident, I can tell you that men do cry. But their tears flow into their hearts. It flows into their hearts and that's why we die early," said Elias.
"I thank God for sustaining me up to this moment. If you see tears in my eyes, it's another flow of the tears in my heart. So we have to live with it. There's nothing we can do. We can't bring him back. We have cried, we have shed tears, we have complained, we have thought. But there's nothing we can do. Thank God we saw his remains."
