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Tag: Kieffer Alas

  • “It’s Like Going Through Two Deaths”: Ateneo players reveal death threats after tragedy 

    “It’s Like Going Through Two Deaths”: Ateneo players reveal death threats after tragedy 

    As Ateneo continues to grieve the loss of Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili, some members of the Blue Eagles are now facing another difficult challenge away from the basketball court.

     

    Highly touted rookie Kieffer Alas revealed that he and several teammates have been receiving death threats and hostile messages on social media following the fatal drowning incident that claimed the lives of Baterbonia and Adili during a training camp in Dipaculao, Aurora on June 8.

     

    Beyond the grief of losing two teammates, Alas said the players have also been forced to deal with online accusations and speculation linking them to the tragedy.

     

    “There have been comments blaming us and saying we were jealous. It’s painful because we were there, and we lost them too,” Alas shared during an appearance on the Let’s Talk with Pia Hontiveros podcast.

     

    The 19-year-old guard described the experience as another layer of trauma for a team still trying to process what happened.

     

    “It’s like going through two deaths. The first one is losing our two teammates, and now being criticized for their deaths. We lost them; we’ve witnessed it happen. Then, I don’t know every social media person or anybody, they’re just putting the blame on us.”

     

    “I just turned 19. It’s just hard. I didn’t think I would be experiencing this.”

     

    Second-year Blue Eagle Sam Reyes echoed the sentiment, saying the online attacks have only made an already painful situation even harder for the team.

     

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    “It’s just hard, the comments that they’re saying that we’re just jealous that we did it because we’re jealous. It’s just killing us because we’re there and we lost two of our brothers. It’s really painful to survive what happened but it’s also killing us at the same time.”

     

    The emergence of rumors and unverified claims in the days following the tragedy has fueled much of the online backlash directed at the players.

     

    Alas admitted that the lack of available information early in the investigation may have contributed to the spread of speculation on social media. He and Reyes also addressed several circulating claims, denying allegations that players were wearing ankle weights or weight belts during the activity and dismissing suggestions that initiation rites were involved.

     

    While the public continues to search for answers, the players say they are trying to cope with both the emotional weight of losing teammates and the scrutiny that followed.

     

    The incident remains under investigation by multiple agencies, including the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Ateneo de Manila University, and the UAAP. As inquiries continue, the Ateneo players hope the facts surrounding the tragedy will eventually provide clarity and put an end to the speculation that has added to their grief.

     

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  • Kieffer Alas recounts near-death experience, denies initiation claims in Ateneo team-building incident

    Kieffer Alas recounts near-death experience, denies initiation claims in Ateneo team-building incident

    Ateneo de Manila University guard Kieffer Alas has defended the university’s basketball program and team management following the tragic deaths of Blue Eagles student-athletes Divine Adili and Rene Clert Baterbonia during a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora.

     

    The incident, which occurred on Monday, June 8, has sent shockwaves through Philippine collegiate sports, prompting widespread grief from teammates, coaches, alumni, sports officials, and basketball organizations. What was meant to be a bonding exercise ahead of another UAAP campaign ended in tragedy, as two young athletes with promising futures were lost.

     

    According to Police Regional Office 3 (PRO-3), initial reports showed that Adili and Baterbonia were swimming when they were caught by strong currents and swept into deeper waters. Rescue efforts were immediately conducted, but both were later declared dead. Authorities have since launched a full investigation into the incident and have urged the public to refrain from speculation while fact-finding continues.

     

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    Alas, along with teammate Sam Reyes, appeared on The Pod Network’s “Let’s Talk with Pia Hontiveros,” where he addressed online speculation suggesting that the activity was an initiation rite for rookies, firmly rejecting those claims.

     

    “No, not at all. It just hurts how people perceive it that way. I know my veterans wouldn’t even think of that. Nothing, they wouldn’t do that to me or in any other rookies. It’s hard to see it online,” Alas said.

     

    The young guard also clarified that then-head coach Tab Baldwin intended the activity strictly as a team-building exercise, part of a long-standing program designed to strengthen camaraderie and mental toughness within the Ateneo program known as the “Blue Eagle Band of Brothers” (BEBOB). He added that players were briefed beforehand about safety concerns, including the presence of strong and unpredictable currents.

    “Coach Tab was saying that the team-building was for us to get closer and to build that mental toughness. To get us closer, like brotherhood. We had a pretty long discussion about it. They warned us about the uneven sand. You can randomly go back down and up and up, so swim vertically to the shore when there’s a rip current,” he added.

     

    Alas also opened up about the harrowing experience he endured during the incident, admitting he reached a point where he believed he would not survive.

     

    “My head wasn’t clear because I didn’t know what to do. It felt like I was underwater for more than 20 seconds. I felt like giving up. I was really giving up. I was ready to accept that I might die. It felt like forever. Before I finally touched the ocean floor, time just seemed to keep stretching on. Then I finally felt the ocean floor,” he said.

     

    The 19-year-old rookie added that he does not know how to swim and relied heavily on instinct and presence of mind to survive the situation.

     

    “I jumped po and gasped for air, but the others were already far away from me. I was screaming for help. Malcolm Tyler went a bit closer to me and just kept screaming in my ear while saving Ian Espinosa. It’s like you were floating and it worked for a bit but it just kept bringing me further from the shore. So I tried doing a thing that I would lie flat whenever a wave came. Then when the wave passed, since I didn’t know how to swim, I would dog-paddle. I just kept repeating that because I had been in the water for so long,” Alas continued.

     

    As the Ateneo community continues to mourn, tributes have poured in from across Philippine sports, honoring not only the players’ athletic promise but also the lives they lived beyond the court.

     

    For Ateneo, the UAAP community, and Philippine basketball as a whole, the tragedy serves as a painful reminder of life’s fragility—even for young athletes on the verge of promising careers.

    Though their journeys were cut short far too soon, Adili and Baterbonia leave behind a lasting impact on teammates, coaches, friends, and loved ones that will endure long after the final buzzer.

     

     

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  • Kieffer Alas ends high school chapter with gratitude and gears up for collegiate journey

    Kieffer Alas ends high school chapter with gratitude and gears up for collegiate journey

    Kieffer Alas is turning the page on an unforgettable chapter of his basketball journey, and he’s doing it with gratitude. 


    In a heartfelt social media post, the former UAAP Boys’ MVP expressed his appreciation for the opportunities, heartbreaks, and lessons that shaped him both on and off the court during his high school career.

     

    Reflecting on this new chapter, Alas said on his social media post, “Bittersweet, but I’m beyond thankful. This is just the beginning.”

     

    Since 2023, Alas has been a fixture in the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) All-Star games, showcasing his talent as one of the Philippines’ brightest young players. Now, at 18, he takes the next step in his career by committing to the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, starting Season 89.

     

    This move marks another milestone in a trailblazing journey. Alas became the first and only four-time NBTC All-Star, surpassing Kai Sotto’s three-time recognition, cementing his status as one of the most decorated young players in the country.

     

    Alas’ recent performances highlight his growth. In the National Finals with Phenom NZ Blue Fire, he dropped 30 points in their 87-78 victory over Urbana Studios x San Beda, further proving his ability to shine under pressure. 

     

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    Before returning to the Philippines, Alas explored opportunities in the United States. He initially joined Layton Christian Academy in Utah, aiming for a Division I spot in the NCAA, before transferring to Utah Prep Academy under the guidance of former TNT Tropang Giga mentor Mark Dickel. 

     

    He made an instant impression, scoring 34 points with 10 three-pointers in his first game, and continued to excel through graduation. Despite his success, a high-profile college offer in the US remained elusive.

     

    Choosing to return home was deliberate, not a fallback. 

     

    “I contemplated the decision with my family. My main dream is to play pro,” Alas shared during a media gathering organized by VP Global Management. 

     

    “In Ateneo, there’s more opportunity, more playing time for my growth as a player and as a person,” the soon to be Blue Eagles player said. 

     

    The decision also provides a familiar environment. With his father, former PBA coach Louie Alas, on Tab Baldwin’s staff and the chance to reunite with high school teammates like Wakee Espina and Jared Bahay, a transition promises continuity both on and off the court.

     

    For Kieffer Alas, the journey from Utah back to Manila isn’t a step backward — it’s a move toward growth, opportunity, and a promising future in Philippine basketball.

     

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  • Gilas Pilipinas Boys standout Kieffer Alas chooses Ateneo over US NCAA schools 

    Gilas Pilipinas Boys standout Kieffer Alas chooses Ateneo over US NCAA schools 

    From his stint at Utah Prep Academy, the 18-year-old made a choice that instantly reshaped the college basketball landscape. He is returning to the Philippines — but not to the familiar green. Instead, Alas will suit up in blue after committing to Ateneo de Manila University.

     

    The 6-foot-2 guard announced his decision through Instagram, posting a photo of himself in an Ateneo jersey with a caption, “Homecoming.”

     

    Alongside it was a reflective message, “A big lesson I learned this year is that a person’s capacity for growth is directly linked to how much truth they can face about themselves without running away.”

     

    Behind the announcement was a decision shaped not just by opportunity, but by connection. Alas revealed he chose Ateneo over other UAAP programs and several NCAA Division II schools largely because of one figure, Tab Baldwin. 

     

    “Coach Tab visited me multiple times here in the US, and I could tell he was really interested in me. They laid out their plan for me, what I could do in the future, and how they saw me as a big part of their program,” Alas said.

     

    Throughout his year abroad, Baldwin consistently kept the communication on him, maintaining communication and reinforcing the idea that development is as much about character as it is about skill.

     

    “That was the main thing for me — the management and especially Coach Tab putting in the effort just to visit me here multiple times,” the 18-year-old guard said.

     

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    For the youngest member of the well-known Alas family, growth has never been in short supply. Before heading overseas, Alas starred for De La Salle Santiago Zobel School and carried the fight for Gilas Pilipinas Boys. 

     

    In the FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship, he averaged 15.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists, earning a spot on the All-Star Five and steering the Philippines to a berth in the Under-17 World Cup. 

     

    An injury later denied him the chance to play on that global stage, a setback that became fuel rather than frustration.

     

    His Grade 11 campaign with the Junior Archers turned into a redemption tour, sharpening his versatility as a two-way guard capable of scoring, rebounding, and facilitating. Now, that skill set arrives at a program hungry to restore its standard.

     

    Ateneo is in the midst of retooling after finishing sixth (6-8) in UAAP Season 88, extending a semifinals drought that has lingered uncomfortably to the Blue Eagles. 

     

    The Katipunan-based team has already added players like Davaoeño Rene Baterbonia and Cebuano Jelomar Rota.

     

    For a player who has already faced the sting of injury, the grind of overseas competition, and the pressure of national expectations, choosing Ateneo is less about switching colors and more about embracing a new chapter.

     

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