It is becoming increasingly evident that the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) is maintaining (or at least trying to maintain) tight control over the messaging surrounding the tragic deaths of basketball players Rene Clert Baterbonia and Divine Adili during a team activity in Baler, Aurora province. It explains the very measured trickle of information out to the public over the days following the incident and the resulting outrage that had erupted as personalities — led by Baterbonia’s grieving mother — filled the gaping information void.
A recent, particularly revealing snippet of information that had come out ironically came from the “apology” statement issued by embattled Ateneo Blue Eagles coach Tab Baldwin. In a video posted on X by the official ADMU account @ateneodemanilau sparsely captioned “A message from Coach Tab Baldwin”, Baldwin opened by saying that he was “asked to limit [his] comments this morning to four minutes”.
- WHO instructed Tab Baldwin to “limit” his public “apology” to just “four minutes”? - June 14, 2026
- The public relations debacle the Ateneo finds itself in following the tragic deaths of Rene Clert Baterbonia and Divine Adili - June 11, 2026
- The way the Ateneo de Manila University issued its official statement on the deaths of Rene Clert Baterbonia and Divine Adili seems to suggest a cover-up - June 9, 2026