As Ateneo de Manila University navigates what may be the gravest crisis in Philippine collegiate sports history, the institution has yet to determine whether it will voluntarily withdraw from the upcoming UAAP Season 89.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday at the Katipunan campus, University President Fr. Bobby Yap, SJ, said the Blue Eagles’ participation in the league is not an immediate concern as the school continues to deal with the aftermath of the deaths of student-athletes Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili during a training camp in Dipaculao, Aurora, last week.
“Yung withdrawal sa Filoil, sana maintindihan niyo kasi si Divine nakaburol pa dito sa Ateneo,” Fr. Yap said.
“Yung players, isang linggo pa lang galing sa trauma. Parang it does not make sense to play. Yung sa UAAP, wala pang desisyon, wala pa iniisip ang paaralan. Wala pa talagang desisyon kung ano gagawin. Yung sa UAAP naman, nagsabi ang Board at may statement ang UAAP, so susunod kami doon.”
Out-of-campus training camps and team-building activities have long been standard practice among elite collegiate athletic programs.
For a basketball powerhouse like Ateneo, these trips have historically included local training camps aimed at strengthening team chemistry, as well as high-profile overseas tours to destinations such as Athens, Sydney, and Las Vegas to expose players to international competition.
Under head coach Tab Baldwin and his predecessors — including Bo Perasol, Norman Black, and Joel Banal — such preseason excursions were considered integral to the program’s development and competitiveness.
Notably, the fatal trip to Aurora was not the team’s first training camp in Baler during the Baldwin era.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Sa pagkaalam ko, itong mga team-building na lumalabas sila, nangyayari na ’to sa panahon kahit ni Norman Black,” Fr. Yap noted.
“Kay Coach Tab, alam ko na panglimang bisita na ’to nila mismo sa lugar na ’yon sa Aurora. Panglimang bisita na ‘to… [at] nahinto lang nung pandemic. May isang linggo na pumupunta sila doon at teambuilding ang ginagawa at training at conditioning, etc.”
Before the university can even consider returning to UAAP competition, it must first confront a series of pressing challenges stemming from the tragedy.
Ateneo is currently facing multiple government investigations into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Baterbonia and Adili. At the same time, public scrutiny continues to intensify over the university’s handling of accountability, restitution, and support for the grieving families.
Addressing questions about the school’s response, Fr. Yap said Ateneo immediately worked to ensure the safe return of the team from Aurora following the incident. He added that while the university offered to arrange transportation for the Baterbonia family from Agusan del Sur to Manila, the family ultimately chose to receive travel assistance from their local government unit.
Acknowledging the need for long-term support, Fr. Yap said the university remains committed to providing financial assistance to both families as part of its moral obligation.
“As I said in my statement, we will provide material assistance to the families, and we see that not as a form of legal settlement but a form of our moral responsibility,” Fr. Yap said.
“I don’t want to miss out on details on what we’re talking about, but we’re in present communication with them about the assistance.
“It will also be an assistance that will cover a certain period of time that would really support them for all their needs for a good period of time,” he added.
