Baldwin, ex-Ateneo players clash over past near-drownings —Remulla

MANILA, Philippines — Resigned Ateneo de Manila University men’s basketball head coach Thomas Anthony “Tab” Baldwin and some former players had contradicting testimonies on allegations of past near-drownings during training, according to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla.

Baldwin gave his statement at the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP CIDG) last June 19 over the investigation into the fatal drownings of players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili while training in Dipaculao, Aurora.

In a press briefing in Quezon City on Friday, Remulla said he had asked Baldwin if past near-drowning incidents had occurred and quoted an excerpt from his testimony, “Again, we’ve fielded that question before. There was no incident that even created the idea of drowning.”

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: Hazing raps recommended vs Tab Baldwin, 10 others over 2 cagers’ death

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

However, according to Remulla, former player Norman Aaron Black told investigators that, during a training activity in Aurora in 2016, teammates GBoy Babilonia and Ikeh Chibueze “nearly drowned… due to panic because GBoy was unable to swim.”

“I personally experienced an untoward incident to the point that I almost drowned and gave up. But, Coach Yuri Escueta held my hand and helped me with a floating device,” Black’s statement said as read by Remulla.

The secretary noted that Babilonia also gave a statement stating that he had also nearly drowned.

But, Babilonia said in his statement as read in the briefing, “Coach Tab came to me with his surfboard to rescue me.”

Article continues after this advertisement

“For him to say nothing happened before but he himself rescued one of his players goes to show he was fully aware what could happen in Dipaculao,” Remulla maintained.

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

Article continues after this advertisement

Earlier in the briefing, Remulla announced that the PNP CIDG recommended that Baldwin and 10 others be charged with violating Republic Act No. 11053 or the Anti-Hazing Act over the incident, citing the definition of hazing in the law as “forced calisthenics and exposure to the weather.”

For his part, Baldwin previously apologized over Baterbonia and Adili’s deaths in a nearly nine-minute-long video posted on Ateneo’s social media page./coa

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.