MANILA — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has recommended the filing of criminal charges against former Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Thomas Anthony “Tab” Baldwin and 11 others over the drowning deaths of Ateneo basketball players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili during a team training activity in Dipaculao, Aurora, bringing the high-profile sports tragedy a step closer to court proceedings.
In documents transmitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ) dated July 8, 2026, the NBI recommended filing charges of reckless imprudence resulting in two counts of homicide against Baldwin, six assistant coaches, and the team’s physical therapist.
Also recommended for prosecution under the same charge are Ceasar Vincent Elumba y Javellana, Grant Dearns, Reynaldo C. Jacinto Jr., Dean Caesar B. Castaño, Sandro Nicholas Soriano y Romero, Hernan Ameer M. Domingo, and John Eric Rueca y Quiambao.
The NBI likewise recommended filing charges of simple negligence resulting in two counts of homicide against Ateneo athletic director Emmanuel T. Fernandez, resort owners Francisco Zubia III y Barangan and Frederick Zubia y Barangan, and resort co-manager Yedda Mary Molina Rubio.
The recommended charges stem from the deaths of Baterbonia and Adili, who drowned during a team training activity near the seawater and beach area of a resort in Dipaculao, Aurora on June 8, 2026.
The NBI has forwarded its findings to the DOJ for preliminary investigation, where prosecutors will determine whether probable cause exists to formally file the recommended criminal charges before the courts.
The complaint was filed by Baterbonia’s mother, Rovelyn Baterbonia y Noja, the Embassy of Nigeria in Manila on behalf of Adili, and the NBI through its agent-on-case.
The deaths of the two Ateneo varsity players triggered multiple investigations by law enforcement authorities and Ateneo de Manila University, eventually leading to Baldwin’s resignation as Blue Eagles head coach and intensifying scrutiny over the university’s training and team-building practices./PN
