Remains of Ateneo student-athlete Divine Adili back in Nigeria

MANILA, Philippines — The remains of student-athlete Divine Adili are already in Nigeria and have been turned over to his family, Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) announced on Thursday.

According to the university, Adili’s remains were accompanied by Fr. Sigmund de Guzman, SJ, Ateneo college chaplain.

“As our community continues to observe the 40-day mourning period for Divine Adili and Rene Clert “Bobet” Baterbonia, we entrust them both to God’s loving mercy and continue to hold their families, teammates and all who mourn them in our prayers,” ADMU said in a statement, also thanking the Nigerian Embassy in Manila for its assistance.

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Baterbonia was laid to rest in his hometown in Agusan del Sur on Wednesday. Family members, friends and supporters gathered to pay their final respects to the basketball player.

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READ: PNP: At least 10 face raps over Ateneo cagers’ death

Adili and Baterbonia, members of the Ateneo men’s basketball team, drowned during a reported team-building activity at a resort in Dipaculao, Aurora on June 8.

Ildefonso questioned

Also on Thursday, former Ateneo basketball player Dave Ildefonso appeared with his lawyers at the PNP-CIDG in Camp Crame, questioning why he was summoned when he was not a material witness to the drownings.

Ildefonso played for AdMU from 2020 to 2022, but has since turned professional with the Abra Weavers in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.

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Ildefonso said it was his brother, Shaun, also a former Ateneo high school basketball player, who went to such an activity and even talked about the bootcamp-style training in a podcast.

READ: Dave Ildefonso: Ateneo tragedy ‘accidental but avoidable’

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The CIDG replied that it also summoned former Ateneo players to investigate claims of questionable training practices under their coach, Tab Baldwin, who resigned after the drownings.

When asked by reporters, Ildefonso described Baldwin as “really one of the best coaches I’ve been under. He’s a professional coach. Our relationship has always been professional.”

“It was accidental,” he added, speaking of the drownings. “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.”

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier said the PNP was set to complete its investigation into the Aurora tragedy and submit its findings to the Department of Justice by Friday.

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Remulla said investigators interviewed nearly 100 individuals and amassed around 1,200 pages of testimonies from participants of the Aurora activity. /cb