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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Collegiate devider 'I failed as a coach': Baldwin makes public apology following tragic deaths of Adili, Baterbonia

'I failed as a coach': Baldwin makes public apology following tragic deaths of Adili, Baterbonia

Published Jun 12, 2026 07:59 pm

At A Glance

  • In a Facebook post by Ateneo de Manila University on Friday evening, June 12, the 68-year-old Baldwin, who revealed that his comments were limited to just four minutes by the school, extended his apologies to the families of Adili and Baterbonia.
Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin (Screengrab Ateneo de Manila University Facebook post)
Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin (Screengrab Ateneo de Manila University Facebook post)
Veteran coach Tab Baldwin finally broke his silence with a public apology following the tragic incident that claimed the lives of Ateneo players Divine Adili and Rene Clert Baterbonia in Dipaculao, Aurora, last Monday, June 8.
In a Facebook post by Ateneo de Manila University on Friday evening, June 12, the 68-year-old Baldwin, who revealed that his comments were limited to just four minutes by the school, extended his apologies to the families of Adili and Baterbonia.
Lost for words, Baldwin also revealed that before the incident he sent the players to do a routine training run in the beach, not realizing some of them were in the deeper part of the waters and the players weren’t complete when they returned to the shore.
“And in this, I feel I've failed. And I'm sorry. To the depth of my being, I'm sorry… And in that moment, I experienced the descent into the darkest place imaginable,” said Baldwin. “And yet I knew at the same time that good people, people that had done an amazing job raising these two young men, were going to be in an even darker, more horrible place. At that moment, I felt I had failed.”
“I failed as a leader. I felt I had failed as a coach. I certainly felt like I had failed as a friend to Divine and Rene. And when later I faced the team to try to be a leader in that moment, I felt that I failed them too,” he added.
The American-Kiwi coach also urged the public, including the Ateneo community, to keep praying for the grieving loved ones of the two rising stars.
“So deeply sorry. And I'm so deeply sorry to not just the families, but everybody that feels let down, somehow betrayed. And I pray that we all find some pathway forward to come back to hope for the future, love for one another, and forgiveness for those of us who failed and tried so desperately hard to reach a better outcome,” Baldwin continued.
“I wish peace for everybody. I wish comfort for everybody who is hurting. And I pray that we will all find that. God bless you all. And we are trying. Thank you,” he concluded.
The heartbreaking passing of Adili and Baterbonia made waves as both the House of Representatives and the Senate have pledged to investigate the incident.
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) also led a Sports Stakeholders’ Panel, joined by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Department of Education (DepEd), the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), the UAAP, the National Youth Commission, and the Palarong Pambansa, to also conduct a probe.
Baldwin, Ateneo’s coach since 2016, was heavily criticized after the unfortunate event. The school later on admitted that it was its decision to keep Baldwin from giving comments.
Currently, Rene, the 2025 Palarong Pambansa MVP who steered Davao Region to secondary boys championship, was flown back to Davao for his wake. Divine, on the other hand, remains at the Immaculate Conception Chapel inside Ateneo in Quezon City before he is carried back to Nigeria.

Related Tags

Divine Adili Rene Clert Baterbonia Tab Baldwin Ateneo Blue Eagles UAAP
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