Dave Ildefonso: Ateneo tragedy ‘accidental but avoidable’

MANILA, Philippines — Former Ateneo de Manila University basketball player Dave Ildefonso said the fatal drowning of student-athletes Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili was “accidental but avoidable.”

Ildefonso appeared before the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP CIDG) at their headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Thursday as part of the investigation into Baterbonia and Adili’s deaths.

“It was accidental. I also think they could’ve been more prepared because, you know, there’s a lot of factors in the ocean. If it was in a more controlled environment, of course, I feel that could’ve been avoided,” Ildefonso said in an interview with reporters after his appearance.

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READ: Dave Ildefonso, lawyers appear before PNP-CIDG for Ateneo drowning probe

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“I think there were shortcomings, there were mistakes. But, what’s done is done already. I’ll just look forward to what will transpire in the next few days,” he added.

Baterbonia and Adili died after being swept away by large waves during a training activity along the shoreline of Dipaculao, Aurora earlier this month.

Ildefonso’s brother, Shaun, previously appeared on a podcast with other fellow players and claimed that the Ateneo team had trained in “bootcamp-style” sessions in Aurora in which player Gboy Babilonia supposedly nearly drowned.

The past statements fueled speculation of questionable practices by the Ateneo team, particularly by now-resigned head coach Tab Baldwin.

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However, Dave Ildefonso—who had played for the Ateneo men’s basketball team from 2020 to 2022—questioned why the CIDG had summoned him and not his brother since he had never been to a training activity in Aurora during his stint.

“During that time, it was the bubble period. That was the Covid-19 pandemic,” he noted.

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Ildefonso further said of Baldwin, “Honestly, for me, Coach Tab is really one of the best coaches I’ve been under. He’s a professional coach. Our relationship has always been professional.”

For his part, Baldwin apologized over Baterbonia and Adili’s deaths and resigned from his post. /mr

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