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Philippines·Basketball

Philippines NBI investigates deaths of two Ateneo basketball players during team-building activity

Thursday, 11 June 2026, 06:24 · 1 min read

The Philippine National Bureau of Investigation has launched a probe into the drowning deaths of Ateneo de Manila University (one of the Philippines' most prominent universities) basketball players Rene Baterbonia, 19, and Divine Adili, 21, who were swept away by strong currents during a school-sanctioned team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora on June 8. Although local police found no signs of foul play, the NBI stressed that an accidental classification does not rule out criminal liability, stating it will examine whether sea conditions were properly assessed and whether adequate supervision and safety precautions were in place. The mother of Baterbonia, who described the incident as the result of negligence rather than a true accident, said the team arrived without a rescue crew and that the nearest hospital was 20 to 30 minutes away, while the Philippine Sports Commission has also announced a separate multi-stakeholder panel to support the investigation.

Sources
RapplerNBI to probe deaths of Ateneo players Baterbonia, Adili ↗︎RapplerRene Baterbonia’s mom not ready to face Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin ↗︎
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