"I failed as a leader. I felt I had failed as a coach. I certainly felt like I had failed as a friend to Divine and Rene."
Ito ang pahayag ni Coach Tab Baldwin nang sa wakas ay basagin niya ang kanyang pananahimik sa pagpanaw ng Ateneo Blue Eagles players na sina Rene Baterbonia, 19, at Divine Adili, 21.
Sinabi niya ito sa video na ibinahagi sa official Facebook page ng Ateneo De Manila University ngayong Biyernes ng gabi, June 12, 2026.
Ito ay makalipas ang apat na araw mula nang pumanaw sina Baterbonia at Adili sa gitna ng team-building activity ng kanilang koponan sa isang beach resort sa Dipaculao, Aurora.
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Kuha ang video sa loob ng basketball court ng Ateneo at nakasuot si Coach Tab ng kanyang Ateneo uniform.
Dito ay humingi siya ng paumanhin sa mga naulilang pamilya nina Baterbonia at Adili.
Inamin ng American-New Zealander basketball coach na binigo niya hindi lang sina Baterbonia at Adili kundi ang kanilang mga pamilya na lubos nagmahal at nag-aruga sa kanila.
Bagamat labis daw ang pagdadalamhati niya sa pagkawala ng kanyang mga alagang players, alam daw ni Coach Tab na higit masakit ito para sa mga naiwang pamilya ng mga ito.
Pahayag niya: "I am Coach Tab Baldwin, the head coach of Ateneo Blue Eagles. I am here this morning to speak to the families of my two basketball players, Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia.
"I've been asked to limit my comments this morning to four minutes; and in a situation in which I've been utterly lost for words, four minutes seems like an eternity. And yet, if I had the opportunity to speak about Rene and Divine, I believe I could speak for hours.
"But they are gone, and we are left behind.
"In being left behind, we are carrying immense sorrow, we're carrying immense grief, we're carrying immense remorse.
"But I've known since the moment that I was told that our boys had passed away, that no matter the magnitude of our grief, there were two families that experienced a loss that was so much greater than ours, and a loss that would stay with them in the most acute way for the remainder of their lives.
"Never again would Rene's mother and father and family, never again would Divine's family be able to talk to their son or touch their son.
"Yes, as a coach, I lost my boys too.
"Never again would I be able to help them develop into the basketball player they wanted to be, to help them grow into the young men that they promised that they could be.
"But that's insignificant compared to what you families are experiencing."
COACH TAB BALDWIN: "I AM SORRY."
Inamin din ni Coach Tab na matindi ang pananagutan niya kina Baterbonia at Adili, na ipinagkatiwala sa kanya ng mga magulang nito.
Alam daw niyang nabigo siya bilang coach na dapat sana'y gagabay sa mga batang players na nangarap na balang araw ay mararating ng mga ito ang professional basketball.
Saad niya: "As a coach, we are entrusted with the growth of our basketball players, the development of these young men into future professionals.
"But mostly, as a coach, I'm entrusted by you, the parents and the families, with first and foremost their well-being.
"And in this, I feel I've failed. And I'm sorry. To the depth of my being, I'm sorry."
Nanindigan naman si Coach Tab na ginawa umano niya ang lahat ng makakaya para masalba sina Baterbonia at Adili noong araw na malunod ang mga ito sa gitna ng kanilang team-building activity.
Base sa mga sumunod niyang salita, ipinahiwatig ni Coach Tab na hindi niya akalaing mangyayari ang sinapit ng dalawang batang basketbolista.
"On that fateful day, when we sent the players out for a routine training run and what we thought was shallow water, up to the moment when we realized that whatever had happened, they were in dangerous water, and we did everything that we could as coaches, as people responsible for that situation.
"The players themselves did everything they could to ensure that everybody arrived back on shore safely.
"And then we realized that we hadn't accomplished that," sabi niya.
Read: PNP Aurora rules out foul play in deaths of two Ateneo players
COACH TAB BALDWIN ADMITS REMORSE OVER DEATHS OF HIS PLAYERS
Maging siya raw ay in shock sa nangyaring trahedya.
Saad ni Coach Tab: "And in that moment, I experienced a descent into the darkest place imaginable.
"And yet I knew, at the same time, that good people, people that had done an amazing job raising these two young men, were going to be in an even darker, more horrible place.
"At that moment, I felt I had failed.
"And when later I faced the team to try to be a leader in that moment, I felt that I failed them too."
Wala raw siyang ibang magawa kundi ang kumapit sa Diyos.
"And that left me with really the only thing that I've been clinging to for the last several days.
"That as part of a community of faith, to pray.
"To pray that the Lord embraces our two boys. To pray that the Lord gives peace, comfort, some sense of sanity to the Baterbonia family and the Adili family.
"And I continue to beseech everybody that cared for, loves, loved Rene and Divine and their families, please keep praying.
"I think that my voice in prayer is hoarse now, but it will never be enough."
Read: Rene Baterbonia's mother not satisfied with Ateneo's explanation
COACH TAB BALDWIN APPEALS FOR "PEACE"
Sa huli, sinabi ni Coach Tab na ipinagdarasal niya ang pagkakaisa at kapayapaan sa kabila ng trahedyang sinapit nina Baterbonia at Adili.
Aniya: "So as we all try to move forward without Divine and Rene, I hope that in binding together as a community, as a basketball team, and as a nation, that we lean on the one place that will never let us down—that is our Lord.
"So deeply sorry. And I'm so deeply sorry to not just the families, but everybody that feels let down, somehow betrayed.
"And I pray that we all find some pathway forward to come back to hope for the future, love for one another, and forgiveness for those of us who failed and tried so desperately hard to reach a better outcome.
"I wish peace for everybody. I wish comfort for everybody who is hurting. And I pray that we will all find that. God bless you all.
"And we are trying. Thank you."
Kahapon, June 11, inihayag ng pamunuan ng Ateneo De Manila University na kasalukuyang "on leave" si Coach Tab Baldwin habang isinasagawa ang imbestigasyon sa pagpanaw nina Baterbonia at Adili.
Ito ay upang ma-preserve ang "total integrity, independence, and fairness" at para siguruhing "all participants can cooperate freely without any actual or perceived pressure."
Read: Benz Sangalang, Joey Reyes recall drowning incident in Dipaculao