THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is forming a multi-stakeholder panel to assist efforts aimed at establishing a comprehensive account of the incident that claimed the lives of student-athletes Rene Clert Baterbonia and Divine Adili of the Ateneo Blue Eagles, and review existing athlete safety measures.
Ateneo announced that Baterbonia, 19, and Adili, 21, died of drowning during a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora, on Monday.
“The entire Ateneo community mourns the loss of Rene and Divine,” Ateneo said in a statement.
Ateneo released a statement last night confirming their deaths, as Police Regional Office-3 shared its initial finding that the two victims were “swimming when they were reportedly carried by a strong current into deeper waters.”
“It is a natural accident, and as of now, we don’t see any foul play,” said Police Col. Percival Penida during a press conference.
“Based on all the acquired statements, this accident is a pure accident,” he stressed.
Netizens posted their speculations that the supposed “team building” is part of coach Tab Baldwin’s physical and mental training, where players will train in the deep waters and push themselves into their limits.
These speculations arose when former Blue Eagle Mike Nieto’s podcast resurfaced, sharing Baldwin’s “military-like” training, where the team is brought to a secluded resort in Aurora, undergoing a weeklong boot camp.
Baterbonia was dubbed the Davao Hero after he helped the Davao team capture its first-ever basketball title in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa in Ilocos Norte, defeating Western Visayas. He was also named most valuable player then.
He just moved to Manila after playing in the 2026 Palarong Pambansa in Agusan del Sur to train for the Blue Eagles.
The 6-foot-10 Adili, a promising Nigerian import known for his hustle play inside the paint, played a year in Season 88 to backstop Ateneo after suffering its worst finish — 8th — in Season 87.
Their promising career though was cut short.
The PSC, in a separate statement, said the death of the two is a “profound tragedy for Philippine sports and for all who knew and supported them.”
As the government agency mandated to provide leadership and direction in sports development and athlete welfare, the PSC said it is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigations and is convening a sports stakeholders’ panel to support the efforts of the Philippine National Police and the Department of Justice in probing the incident.
The body will include the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), Commission on Higher Education and the National Youth Commission, according to the PSC.
It added that the panel will examine existing policies, protocols and training practices toward resolutions to strengthen safeguards in athletic training environments.
“The goal is not only to understand what happened, but to ensure that lessons learned lead to safer, more responsive systems that protect athletes while sustaining high-performance sport,” the PSC said.
“Excellence in sport requires environments that push human potential, but never at the expense of safety,” it added.
The PSC also offered its condolences to the families of Baterbonia and Adili.
He once again led Davao Region to another championship appearance in his home province of Agusan del Sur just last month, but they lost the title to Calabarzon, 62-79, on May 30.
The tragic accident came less than a week after Baterbonia moved to the Ateneo campus in Katipunan, Quezon City. He was supposed to debut for the Blue Eagles in the UAAP Season 89 later this year.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Adili suited up for Ateneo in Season 88.
‘Swept by strong current’
The two young student-athletes were reportedly swimming when they were “carried away by the current,” the Police Regional Office in Central Luzon (PRO-3) said in a statement, citing information gathered so far by investigators.
Police said personnel from the Dipaculao Municipal Police Station immediately responded to the incident and coordinated with concerned agencies to provide assistance.
The victims were rushed to a medical facility but were later declared dead by the attending physician.
“While the investigation remains ongoing, initial findings indicate that the victims were swimming when they were reportedly carried by a strong current into deeper waters,” PRO-3 said.
The regional police office urged the public to refrain from speculation while authorities complete their investigation and reminded beachgoers to observe safety advisories, particularly in areas known for strong currents. NICOLE ANNE BAGAUISAN AND PNA
