Ateneo Athletes Die in Dipaculao: Adili, Baterbonia

In a recent ANC 24/7 report titled "They left for a school activity. They never came home," the nation watched as the families of 21-year-old Divine Adili and 19-year-old Rene Clert Baterbonia received the news that their sons had drowned during what was supposed to be a routine team-building event. The footage captured the raw grief of relatives in Agusan del Sur and the quiet shock among Ateneo de Manila University students who knew the two Blue Eagles basketball players as teammates and friends. This tragedy has now drawn the attention of multiple government agencies and reignited calls for accountability in Philippine school sports programs.

Ateneo Basketball Players Divine Adili and Rene Clert Baterbonia Die in Dipaculao; CIDG Probes Possible Homicide or Hazing

Manila, Philippines — Divine Adili, a second-year student from the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles men's basketball program, and Rene Clert Baterbonia, a 19-year-old first-year recruit from Ateneo de Davao University, both drowned on June 8, 2026, while attending a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora province. Initial reports from Police Regional Office 3 stated that rip currents swept the young athletes away. The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group has since taken over and declared the deaths were not accidental.

Ateneo community demands justice following the tragic deaths of two Blue Eagles basketball players. (Global 1 News)

The Tragedy in Dipaculao

Divine Adili, 21, and Rene Clert Baterbonia, who hailed from Agusan del Sur, joined other Blue Eagles members for the activity organized by the Ateneo de Manila University basketball program. The two athletes left campus expecting a standard bonding session but never returned. Local authorities in Aurora province recovered their bodies after they were carried out to sea by strong currents along the Dipaculao coastline.

The incident immediately affected their families, with Baterbonia's relatives in Agusan del Sur requesting an autopsy through the National Bureau of Investigation. The CIDG coordinated with the NBI on the request. Foreign student Divine Adili's family also faced the sudden loss of their son thousands of kilometers from home.

CIDG Investigation: Not an Accident

CIDG Director PMGen. Nicolas Torre III is personally leading the fact-finding probe into the deaths. The agency has ruled out a simple drowning accident and is examining possible homicide or hazing charges. Tab Baldwin appeared at CIDG Camp Crame to provide statements as part of the ongoing investigation.

The shift in the official narrative from rip currents to potential criminal liability has placed the entire Ateneo basketball program under scrutiny. Investigators continue to gather evidence from the Dipaculao site and from university officials who organized the activity.

CIDG investigators probe the scene in Dipaculao, Aurora where the two student-athletes drowned during a team-building activity. (Global 1 News)

Resignations and Accountability

Head coach Tab Baldwin and team manager Epok Quimpo both resigned from their positions following the incident. The University Athletic Association of the Philippines immediately banned the entire Ateneo coaching staff involved in the activity, with the suspension taking effect right away. The UAAP also set July 15 as the deadline for Ateneo to submit its official findings.

The Department of Labor and Employment separately summoned Tab Baldwin regarding employment permit issues tied to his role. These moves have left the Blue Eagles program without its leadership structure at a critical time.

UAAP and PSC Response

The Philippine Sports Commission formed a sports stakeholders' panel that includes representatives from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, UAAP, Commission on Higher Education, Department of Education, and National Youth Commission. The PSC also extended P250,000 in financial aid to each of the families of Baterbonia and Adili.

These institutional responses aim to review safety protocols across collegiate sports programs nationwide. The panel is expected to recommend new guidelines for team-building activities held outside campus grounds.

A Painful Pattern: 80 Years of Student Deaths

The Ateneo tragedy echoes earlier cases that have marked Philippine campus life for more than eight decades. Past incidents include the death of Lenny Villa during fraternity rites, Mark Welson Chua's case, Atio Castillo's hazing-related death, and the BulSU Madlum Cave tragedy. Each event prompted public calls for reform that have yet to fully prevent similar losses.

Student organizations across Manila and Quezon City have drawn direct parallels between these historical cases and the Dipaculao drownings. The pattern shows recurring failures in oversight during school-sanctioned activities involving young athletes and recruits.

ANC 24/7 reported on the tragic deaths of Ateneo student-athletes Divine Adili and Rene Clert Baterbonia. (ANC 24/7)

Students and Faculty Demand Justice

More than 160 Ateneo professors signed a statement seeking clarity from university management on how the activity was approved and supervised. Ateneo students staged walkouts from classes, chanting demands for truth, justice, and accountability. The Philippine Jesuits later acknowledged that more could have been done in the handling of the tragedy.

Baterbonia's mother publicly stated that an apology is not enough. Her words have resonated with families of OFWs and provincial students who send their children to Manila universities expecting safe environments.

What to Watch For

Rep. Karl Legazpi of the Pinoy Workers Party-List filed a resolution calling for a House of Representatives probe into the deaths. The CIDG investigation under PMGen. Nicolas Torre III continues alongside the NBI autopsy results. The UAAP's July 15 deadline for Ateneo's report will determine whether further sanctions follow.

These parallel inquiries will shape how Philippine universities handle off-campus activities for student-athletes in the coming semesters. The families of Divine Adili and Rene Clert Baterbonia continue to seek answers that go beyond official statements.