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A viral altered photo of the late Rene Baterbonia falsely depicts him being restrained while posing on a beach.
MANILA, Philippines — A viral altered photo of the late Rene Baterbonia falsely depicts him being restrained while posing on a beach, as investigations into the tragic drowning incident that led to his death are ongoing.
In an edited photo from a Facebook post, Rene Baterbonia is seen wearing an Ateneo jersey with his feet tied up and his hands behind his back.
In an edited photo posted by a Facebook user with over 167,000 followers, Baterbonia is shown wearing an Ateneo jersey with his feet tied and hands behind his back.
The caption accompanying the post claimed that his drowning was caused by his being restrained.
The post read:
paano di malulunod ang tao dito nakatali ang paa at kamay mo tapos nasa dagat pa. grabe naman ang training na yan.
The edited photo was shared by Facebook pages Marites Station and Happy Tune.
The edited photo was shared across multiple posts on Facebook, including from Facebook pages Marites Station with more than 265,000 followers and Happy Tune with at least 57,000 followers.
Rating: This is fake.
Facts
No official source or investigating body has released any image of Baterbonia being restrained that matches the one circulating on social media.
The altered photo was based on a November 2025 image posted by Baterbonia on Facebook, where the same facial expression can be observed.
Traces of a photographer’s watermark from the original photo can be faintly seen on the altered picture.
Traces of a photographer’s watermark, "Julius Domondon | 2025," from the original photo can be faintly seen on the altered picture.
Angel Librero, the team leader of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) Dipaculao rescue team, said there were no heavy weights tied to Baterbonia's feet, according to an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News.
Librero also clarified that the rope around his leg was from one of the lifebuoys from the resort.
Francisco Zubia, co-owner of Hermanos Leisure Farm and Surf Camp in Dipaculao, disputed social media posts that the victims had bruises or had weights attached to them.
Why we fact-checked this
Since publishing, the Facebook user’s post has reached over 1,900 reactions, 700 comments and 200 shares.
Tab Baldwin resigned as the Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach on Monday, June 15, amid ongoing government investigations into the deaths of players Baterbonia and Divine Adili.
Blue Eagles team manager Epok Quimpo has also stepped down from his post.
Baterbonia and Adili passed away on June 8 in a drowning incident during the Blue Eagles team-building session in Aurora.
