Two days after the tragic passing of Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili, the Ateneo Blue Eagles were able to visit their teammate Rene during his wake at Arlington Memorial Chapel in Quezon City.
It was also the first time Rene’s mother, Rovelyn, met the entire team.
After the team and the parents paid their respects, the players stood on one side as Rovelyn expressed her grief.
“Wala na, wala na. Yung bata mahirap. Laki sa hirap. Nangarap siya para sa amin. Nabura lahat yun. Nabura lahat,” said Rovelyn in a video obtained by Bilyonaryo.
“Masakit talaga.”
Rene had only arrived in Manila to pursue his collegiate basketball dream, but just four days later, he met his untimely demise following the tragic incident.
Despite coming from a modest town in Agusan del Sur, Rene carried big dreams.
In basketball, he believed he could help uplift his family’s life circumstances. He won championships for Ateneo de Davao, led his region to the top in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa, and went on to represent the country in the ASEAN School Games.
These achievements eventually led to his recruitment by Ateneo de Manila University.
His jerseys from Ateneo de Davao and the ASEAN School Games were placed beside his coffin.
“Sabi pa niya, pag ako, makarating ako sa UAAP, bibigyan kita ng UAAP MVP or kung ma-PBA man siya, PBA MVP. Kasi iyon ang pangarap niya: magkaroon siya ng pangalang hindi naibigay sa kanyang ama. Yung ama niya, basketbolista,” the matriarch of the Baterbonia family continued, referring to Rene’s father, who was also a former player and his namesake.
“Sa hirap ng buhay, walang sponsor, malayo pa yung sa amin at walang signal doon. Malayo pa ang transportation. Kaya sabi niya, ‘Pag ako, tutuparin ko talaga at ako ang magbibigay ng malaking pangalan.’ Kaya nung nalaman ko na wala na siya, hindi ko talaga natanggap. Bakit talaga? Bakit nawala?
“Kahit wala na ‘ko sa mood, ninais ko lang madala yung dalawa niyang jersey kasi may mga koleksyon kami. Pag may MVP siya, kinokolekta namin ‘yun,” she added.
The Baterbonia family has been grieving since Rene’s passing.
According to them, there has been minimal response to their requests for confirmation regarding their son’s death last Monday.
It was the Agusan del Sur local government unit, led by Governor Santi Cane, that arranged the parents’ flights to Manila, their lodging, and the eventual transport of Rene’s remains back to their province.
In closing, she also shared a message about respect for the Blue Eagles.
“Mahirap kami dahil malaki ang respeto. Mayaman man o mahirap, mayaman kami sa respeto. Sana maintindihan ninyo yung respeto na sinasabi ko.”
