UAAP announces the board decision on Tab Baldwin following the Aurora accident.
The UAAP Board of Trustees has imposed a permanent ban on Tab Baldwin, months after the deaths of two student-athletes.
The deaths of Divine Adili and Rene Clert Baterbonia have created a huge buzz online, with many people heartbroken over the bright future that has been stolen from the two young guns.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of June 8, when four Ateneo players were swept away by strong currents during a beach activity held as part of the team’s teambuilding program. The incident claimed the lives of 18-year-old Baterbonia and 21-year-old Adili, while the two other players survived.
In a previous article, Tab Baldwin, the Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach, resigned amid an ongoing investigation. This has left a lot of uncertainty as the investigation moves.
Among the latest developments, the former Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach and 10 others—including assistant coaches, university officials, and resort personnel—have been included in the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) recommendations submitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Recently, the UAAP Board of Trustees imposed a permanent ban on Tab Baldwin while allowing the Ateneo Blue Eagles to remain eligible to compete in the upcoming UAAP Season 89 despite the disciplinary action against their former head coach.
He was served with a perpetual ban, which effectively prevented him from participating in future UAAP activities. Despite the sanction against their head coach, Ateneo’s men’s basketball program will not be suspended and will remain eligible for Season 89.
This ruling is expected to have a major impact on the UAAP basketball landscape, considering Baldwin’s long-standing influence on the league.
Former Ateneo team manager Epok Quimpo, along with assistant coaches Dean Castaño, Sandro Soriano, Reynaldo Jacinto Jr., Hernan Ameer Domingo, Caesar Vincent “CJ” Elumba, and Grant Dearns, as well as physical therapist John Eric Rueca, have been suspended from participating in all UAAP competitions and related activities.
Ateneo has welcomed the board’s decision.
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