'You’re home, my brother': Baterbonia’s remains flown back to Davao

The remains of Rene Baterbonia, an 18-year-old basketball player from Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU), arrived in Davao City on July 4, Independence Day, for a three-day public wake at his high school alma mater. Baterbonia, a key player for ADDU’s Blue Knights, drowned alongside Nigerian student-athlete Divine Adili, 21, during a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora, on July 1. The wake, held at ADDU’s Bangkal Campus, was attended by family, friends, former coaches, and teammates, including head coach Jess Evangelio, who led the team to multiple regional titles and a historic 2025 Palaro championship. ADDU president Karel San Juan SJ welcomed the family and offered a mass in honor of Baterbonia, who helped the team win the Davao Region’s first-ever Palarong Pambansa title in 2023. Evangelio shared emotional reflections, noting that the chapel where the wake was held was once a place of hope before tournaments but has now become a farewell site. Public viewing was extended from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday to 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, allowing fans and friends to pay their respects. Meanwhile, Ateneo de Manila University announced a candlelight vigil for both Baterbonia and Adili, starting July 5 at 10 a.m. at the Immaculate Concepcion Chapel in Manila. The university also held a vigil on July 4, as both families demand answers amid uncertainties about the incident, particularly given the treacherous waves in Aurora’s Dipaculao beach. Ateneo de Manila head coach Tab Baldwin attended the vigil, marking his first public appearance since the tragedy, which is being called one of the biggest in Philippine sports history. Baldwin, who joined Ateneo in 2016 and won four UAA titles, is at the center of investigations into the team’s training methods, including alleged military-style drills in open waters. The university placed Baldwin and team manager Epok Quimpo on leave to ensure fairness in the ongoing probes, requesting that Baldwin refrain from public statements until the facts are established. Both families have called for truth and justice, with investigations ongoing to determine the cause of the drowning. The incident has sparked widespread outrage, particularly over the safety of training practices, as authorities and the university work to uncover the full circumstances of the tragedy.