For the first time, surviving members of the Ateneo de Manila University Men’s Basketball Team publicly detailed their experience during the Aurora team-building incident that claimed the lives of teammates Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili.
Jared Bahay, Ian Espinosa, and Andrew Bongo shared their accounts during a town hall event at the Ateneo campus, recounting how a team activity near the shoreline turned into an emergency situation on June 8.
Bahay said the players entered the activity without their mobile phones after the devices were collected the night before, leaving the team with no way to track time as the camp continued.
Before the activity, the players recalled that former head coach Tab Baldwin asked who among them did not know how to swim. Bahay said Divine Adili was among those who could not swim, while Baterbonia knew how to swim.
The activity involved players jogging in the water near the shoreline as coaches supervised from the beach. However, the conditions changed when stronger waves began pushing the players away from the shore.
“The waves came and we didn’t know that we were being pulled farther out,” Bahay recalled.
The players said they were later told to move toward shallower waters, but the current made returning difficult.
Espinosa, who was near the front of the group, said he initially did not realize the danger behind him as several teammates began struggling in the water.
“While we were swimming back to the shallow part, we noticed that we were not moving anymore,” Bahay said.
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‘WE SAW RENE FLOATING WITH PURPLE LIPS’ – IAN ESPINOSA pic.twitter.com/qIVSHxgzka
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As the situation worsened, the players tried to assist each other. Espinosa turned back after noticing teammates in trouble and found Kyle Gamber calling for help.
Bahay also recalled facing difficulties himself when his foot cramped while trying to swim back, forcing him to rely on another teammate’s assistance.
When some players finally reached the shore, they realized several teammates were still missing. Bahay described the panic among the group, remembering Kiefer Alas in distress and EJ Kapihe repeatedly saying, “Divine’s gone, bro. Divine’s gone.”
“I thought EJ didn’t see Divine, but in this scenario he already saw Divine floating and he didn’t know how to swim at all,” Bahay said.
According to Bahay, Kapihe attempted to help Adili and bring him back to safety, but Adili was already unconscious.
After understanding the seriousness of the situation, Bahay immediately informed Baldwin, who then looked for assistance.
“Everybody panicked because they didn’t know who was missing,” Bahay said.
Espinosa also shared his memory of seeing Baterbonia during the incident, saying his teammate was swimming breaststroke and calling out.
“Nakita ko si Rene sa likod na (nag-breaststroke at sumisigaw), tapos sinabihan ko na tumalon ka lang,” Espinosa said.
Bahay later recalled that Baterbonia was found floating with purple lips, prompting the coaching staff to perform CPR.
The players said the speed of events left them struggling to understand what was happening. After reaching the shore, some teammates returned to the water area to search for those who had not made it back.
After the incident, 18 players gathered at a swimming pool area where Coach Jon Jacinto Jr. informed them of what happened and allowed them to contact their families.
The players also said Baldwin returned about an hour later after accompanying Adili and Baterbonia to the hospital.
The accounts from Bahay, Bongo, and Espinosa followed the earlier discussion of teammates Kieffer Alas and Sam Reyes during a Let’s Talk podcast with journalist Pia Hontiveros.
The testimonies provided a deeper look into the tragedy as the Ateneo community continues to mourn the loss of two student-athletes.
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