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MANILA, Philippines — The family of the late Rene Baterbonia wants more than just an apology from Ateneo in response to head coach Tab Baldwin’s statement regarding the tragic drowning of two Blue Eagles last Monday at a beach resort in Dipaculao, Aurora.
“Apologies cannot make up for the death of my son,” said Rovelyn Baterbonia yesterday in a translated message posted on her social media account.
Baterbonia’s mother insisted that four days after the passing of Rene, 18, and Nigerian Divine Adili, 19, Baldwin and Ateneo had allegedly not explained to their families what really transpired during a “team-building activity” in Dipaculao.
“Just so you know, what I want is for you to say (explain) what really happened. Why are you saying that what happened to my child was just an accident?” she said.
“Let’s say it was an accident, but you did not update me about what had happened. You already posted on social media that my child had died, but you still had not sent me a picture or proof confirming that my child was really dead,” she added.
Baldwin, in a recorded statement lasting more than eight minutes, earlier apologized for failing in his role as leader during the tragedy.
“I’m sorry. To the depth of my being, I’m sorry,” said Baldwin.
However, the coach came under renewed scrutiny after a video allegedly showing his ex-wife Efi Kalogirou surfaced online, in which she made claims about their past relationship and raised concerns about Baldwin’s behavior.
Kalogirou said she had to “flee away from Tab” in 2020 “to keep us safe” and also alleged she had warned Ateneo that “children are not safe around him (Baldwin).”
The statement was released in response to Baldwin’s remarks on grief, forgiveness, and moving on, with Kalogirou clarifying that the reference to “family” in his message “does not represent me or my kids.”
The STAR sought comments from Ateneo de Manila University officials regarding the allegations but has not received any resposne as of press time.
Baldwin knew dangers
Baldwin had long been aware of the dangers posed by rip currents in parts of Aurora’s coastline, according to one of the owners of the resort where Baterbonia and Adili drowned during a team-building activity.
Francisco Zubia, co-owner of Hermanos Leisure Farm and Surf Camp in Dipaculao, said the Ateneo Blue Eagles had previously held training activities at the resort in 2016, 2018 and 2019.
“Since they were going in 2016, 2018 and 2019, we would always talk about rip currents, that there are safe places to swim and there are times when you cannot go to the sea,” Zubia told News5 on Thursday after voluntarily submitting to a five-hour interview with investigators from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Rip currents are powerful channels of water that flow away from the shore and can quickly pull swimmers into deeper waters.
Zubia said he arrived at the resort past 3:30 p.m. on Monday after being informed by staff that a drowning incident had occurred.
Employees immediately sought assistance from Aurora’s Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), which responded within 12 minutes.
“When I arrived there, I was with the [MDRRMO] who had a boat, their second unit … We saw that Rene’s body was already recovered. He was the first one recovered,” Zubia recalled.
“The second one who was recovered, when I was already there at the beach, I saw that my brother was already there; he helped the lifeguards during the rescue. When Divine was recovered, we also helped in rescuing him from the sea,” the owner added.
According to Zubia, Baldwin was in the area during the incident.
The resort owner said Baterbonia was retrieved about 300 meters from the right side of the beach, and rescuers performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation in an effort to save him.
He also disputed social media claims that the victims had bruises or had weights attached to them.
Zubia, however, said resort personnel were not fully aware of the team’s activities.
“Their usual activity was running, but we couldn’t see them because we were not allowed to video. They were the ones who knew about their activities, so we just let them be. If they just ask for help, we will give it to them,” he said.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag confirmed to The STAR yesterday that the bureau is planning to subpoena Baldwin and ADMU officials, but he didn’t give further details.
In an interview with GMA News at his hometown of San Pedro City, Laguna, Matibag said the NBI has been able to provide a copy of Baterbonia’s autopsy results to his mother.
The bureau, however, is still awaiting consent from Adili’s mother, who hails from Nigeria, to have the foreign student-athlete autopsied.
Matibag hopes that the task force created to investigate the matter—composed of the Homicide Division, Aurora District Office, Technical Investigation Division, Digital Forensic Laboratory and Medico Legal Division—will be finished in the coming week. — EJ Macababbad, Bella Cariaso
