Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili's family react to Coach Tab Baldwin’s statement
The family of Rene Baterbonia has reacted to Coach Tab Baldwin's statement, stressing that an "apology" was not enough.
In a Facebook post, Rene's mom, Rovelyn Baterbonia, expressed her dismay at Baldwin's statement, which was released on Ateneo de Manila University's Facebook page on Friday evening.
"Hindi madadaan sa apologies ang pagkamatay ng anak ko para malaman ninyo. Ang gusto ko, ipahayag ninyo kung ano talaga ang nangyari kung bakit niyo sinasabi na accident lang ang nangyari sa anak ko. Ipagpalagay ko nang accident lang, pero hindi niyo man lang ako in-update kung ano ang nangyari. Nag-post na kayo sa social media na patay na ang anak ko, pero hindi pa kayo nagpapadala sa akin ng larawan na magpapatunay na patay na nga talaga ang anak ko," she wrote in Bisaya, as roughly translated.
One of his relatives also questioned the sincerity of the public apology, saying, "We would be more inclined to believe the sincerity of your public apology if you were willing to face the media, answer questions from journalists, and speak publicly and transparently."
"But a pre-recorded apology? Not even a live statement? I don't see much sincerity in that. Who knows what's happening behind the camera, or whether those words are truly your own?" she added.
'I want justice for my son'
Divine Adili’s family has likewise been calling for accountability for the athlete’s death.
"A call for accountability……..Let justice prevail: Two great dreams and two breadwinners and the hope of families cut short. They were breadwinners and pillars upon which entire households leaned. The providers who woke up every day carrying the hopes and the survival of their loved ones on their shoulders," his relative Ogonna Grace Mabia wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday. "Mothers of Divine and Rene calling for accountability."
His brother, Jessy, recalled how Divine would regularly send him links to his games, which he would always make time to watch. He also expressed dismay about the incident, especially since it could have been prevented.
"What happened has happened due to ignorance and negligence from the school," he told One News PH in an interview, saying that he had seen interviews from alumni saying that it's a normal training program.
"If at all they want to do this, there [are] so many pools that this training session could have taken place and not in a vast ocean," he lamented.
"I was really in pain because I didn't get to talk to my brother one last time," he said. He also appealed to Ateneo de Manila University to at least bring his brother back home safely.
"There's no amount of anything now that can bring him back. No amount of crying, no amount of anything. His absence should be felt," he added.
Earlier, Divine Adili's father Elias, called for justice for his son in a Facebook post.
"I want justice for my son Chukwuemeka Divine Adili who along others stood in for Nigeria in all Nation Tournament in Philippines in 2024, Nigeria won he was ranked 6th best, he gave his all to ATENEO BLUES 3rd ranked University in Philippines, Divine your family is highly pained and devastated by your demise out of carelessness, you evaporated like a steam out of our sight," he wrote.
"Divine, we miss you and our tears seem endless," he lamented.
Elias also told One News PH that they are now waiting for Divine's autopsy results before bringing his remains home in Nigeria.
Team building tragedy
While participating in a team-building activity with the rest of their teammates at a resort in Dipaculao, Divine and Rene were carried away by a rip current. They were found 30-40 minutes later. A physician at an Aurora hospital declared them dead on arrival.
Initial findings by the Aurora police have suggested the incident was purely accidental, and ruled out foul play.
Multiple agencies have launched parallel investigations into the incident, including the Dipaculao local government, Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Philippine Sports Commission.
After days of silence, Baldwin expressed his remorse in the incident via a video statement, stressing that he's also feeling the magnitude of their loss. "Never again will I be able to help them develop into the basketball players they wanted to be, to help them grow into the young men that they promised that they could be," he said. "But that's insignificant compared to what their families are experiencing."
"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," he said.