Ateneo coach's camp maintains Aurora drowning tragedy an ‘accident’

MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo de Manila University men’s basketball team coach Reynaldo Jacinto maintained that the fatal drownings of players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili in Aurora were an “accident,” his lawyer said.

Jacinto had appeared before the Philippine National Police–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP–CIDG) in Camp Crame on Friday as part of the investigation into the incident.

“Coach Jacinto gave his statement. He stated what happened… Hopefully, after this, investigators get the finding that, sadly, there was an unexpected event that happened. It was all just an accident and there was really no initiation,” lawyer Pelagio Cuison, who represents Jacinto, told reporters.

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READ: Ateneo drowning probe needs another week to finish, says DILG chief

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“At the end of the day, nobody wanted this to happen. We hope the CIDG and NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) will also come to the same conclusion,” he added.

Baterbonia and Adili died after being swept away by large waves while training on the shoreline of Dipaculao, Aurora last June 8.

The Ateneo team has since maintained that the incident was an accident and the Dipaculao activity was not an initiation rites.

However, the CIDG previously said its investigation into the incident was now looking into possible homicide or hazing cases.

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At least 48 individuals had been subpoenaed by the CIDG for the investigation.

On Friday, apart from Jacinto, former Ateneo men’s basketball head coach Tab Baldwin, fellow coaches Dean Castaño and Sandro Soriano, and university athletics director Em Fernandez had appeared before the CIDG in Camp Crame.

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Baldwin arrived around past 8 a.m., while Jacinto had arrived at 9 a.m.

“The coach (Jacinto) was really sad. He even cried… recounting how he was able to save one player from drowning and how he was unable to save the others,” Cuison explained.

Jacinto’s camp left the CIDG around 6:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, Soriano and his camp left the CIDG shortly before 7 p.m. They did not give a statement to the media.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla previously said investigators had flagged “inconsistencies” between the players’ statements and the coaches’ statements, citing the difference in their vantage points.

However, Cuison maintained, “I haven’t read the statements, but Coach Tab Baldwin is still there and he’s still giving a statement. So, I think it’s premature to state that.”

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“But, for inconsistencies, you have to determine whether [they’re] major or minor,” he added. /mr