The Philippine National Police–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group revealed on Monday that the Ateneo de Manila University men’s basketball program allegedly operates as an independent entity from the school’s University Athletics Office and is funded and managed by a sports patron.
This development added further context to the investigation into the deaths of Blue Eagles Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili during a team-building activity last Monday, June 8, in Dipaculao, Aurora. It has also triggered subpoenas against Ateneo president Fr. Bobby Yap, SJ, and officials of the said sponsor.
CIDG Director Maj. Gen. Robert Morico II said the agency based part of its assessment on information relayed through the university’s athletics office.
“The Director of the University Athletics Office of Ateneo de Manila, Mr. Emmanuel Fernandez, appeared personally to answer our questions,” Morico said in a press conference at Camp Crame.
“We also learned from the university athletics office that the Ateneo basketball team is allegedly autonomous and independently run by a foundation. The program planning and funding are being handled by a foundation.”
Morico added that they will still seek further clarifications from university officials as the investigation continues.
“We will also be asking him further questions when the students appear before the CIDG,” he said, referring to Emmanuel Fernandez. “We have spoken with the lawyers of the students, and they requested that instead of tomorrow, their clients — 22 of them — will appear on Wednesday, which we have agreed to.
“We are expecting them to appear on Wednesday.”
The CIDG also said it will subpoena Ateneo president Fr. Bobby Yap, SJ, and officials of the said patron to clarify the governance structure of the program and determine accountability over the team-building activity that led to the deaths of Baterbonia and Adili.
Subpoenas were earlier issued to more than 20 individuals within the Blue Eagles camp, including coaches and players, as part of fact-finding efforts and to determine possible violations of the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018.
“We will also confirm this statement with the rector of Ateneo, the president, Father Roberto Yap. That’s why we will also be issuing subpoenas to him,” Morico added.
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The filing of subpoenas against the officials of the said patron and Yap came after former head coach Tab Baldwin and team manager Epok Quimpo failed to appear at the PNP-CIDG’s scheduled fact-finding hearing at Camp Crame, despite both being served subpoenas.
Baldwin was also notably absent from a separate hearing at the Department of Labor and Employment, where Secretary Francis Tolentino directed him last week to personally present a valid and current Alien Employment Permit, proving his authorization to serve as Ateneo’s head coach and that his permit covered the full scope of his supervision, including off-campus training activities.
Instead, the American-Kiwi mentor sent his lawyer, who presented Baldwin’s Alien Certificate of Registration rather than the AEP Tolentino had specifically required.
The non-appearance came hours before Ateneo accepted the resignations of both Baldwin and Quimpo, after the university previously placed the two on leave to preserve the integrity of its own fact-finding investigation into the deaths of Baterbonia and Adili.
