Ateneo teammates dismiss hazing, ankle weights, silencing claims

Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili died in a June 8 team-building activity.

The teammates of Ateneo basketball players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili have spoken publicly for the first time—recounting what happened before, during, and after the incident that claimed their lives.

Kieffer Alas and Sam Reyes appeared on the “Let’s Talk with Pia Hontiveros” podcast, published June 16, to address circulating rumors and share their firsthand account.

No hazing

Both players firmly denied allegations that the team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora on June 8 involved hazing.

“No po. Not at all,” Alas said. “Wala po. It just hurts how people perceive it that way.”

“Coach Tab (Baldwin) was saying that the team-building was for us to get closer… like brotherhood,” he added.

Alas said Baldwin had warned them about the area’s uneven sand and rip current—even advising them to “swim vertical to the shore.” However, he was unsure whether all parents had been informed.

“But I’m pretty sure, I know me and Sam’s parents said yes,” he said.

No ankle weights used

Alas and Reyes dismissed claims that players were made to swim with weights.

“Wala po,” Reyes said, clarifying that an object seen in a viral photo was a drone controller.

Authorities have since confirmed that no weights were used or found when the bodies were recovered.

No other players in critical condition

The pair denied claims that other players were in critical condition.

“No,” they said when asked if anyone needed CPR.

“Ang pinakamalala lang po ay nagsusuka na po sila sa beach,” Reyes said.

No gag order

Asked directly if there was a gag order, they said, “No po.”

Reyes said coaches initially told them not to speak publicly so families could be informed first.

“Don’t tell anyone about what happened… bago po malaman from social media,” he recalled.

“Only people we could tell is our parents daw,” Alas added.

“It’s just so hard to talk… we couldn’t accept na nawala po ’yong dalawang teammate po namin,” Alas said.

Adili and Baterbonia’s families, however, said they got details of the incident through social media, not through Ateneo officials. The university later said it reached out to them “on the very night it happened.”

‘Kami ang nagbuhat’

Alas and Reyes said there were no immediate first responders when Baterbonia was found.

“When we saw Rene, it was us who carried him out of the water. Not the first responders,” Reyes said. “Wala pong tumulong. They were just spectating. They were just watching us.”

“Matagal na po silang nasa tubig (ni Divine),” he added.

Shortly after Baterbonia’s ambulance had left, Adili was brought to shore by 15 people. Reyes recalled someone saying he still had a pulse—before being put into a police vehicle.

Alas also noted that a bystander was also recording the incident.

‘I could have done more’

Reyes broke down as he spoke about survivor’s guilt: “Rene was beside me… I felt na I could’ve done more para hindi siya malunod.”

“It was eating me alive… When I tried to sleep, I would see his face,” he said. “We were roommates, Rene and Divine. I would like to see them in their beds like the last time I saw them… I was just wandering, walking endlessly.”

‘Parang pinapatay kami’

Both said they’ve faced backlash—and even death threats.

“It’s like going through two deaths,” Alas said. “The first one is losing our two teammates, then now being criticized for their deaths.”

“We lost them, we witnessed it happen, then, I don’t know… they’re just putting the blame on us,” he said. “We lost two of our brothers… Nabuhay nga po kami, pero parang pinapatay kami.”

Alas said speculations wouldn’t have spread if Ateneo released information more swiftly: “That made [the public] guess from all the photos and pictures and hearsay around.”

“We were actually scared to do an interview cause they were twisting a lot of words,” Reyes added.

‘Accept na mawawala na po ako’

The players recalled that their swimming activity felt normal at first, with some of them standing in thigh-deep water.

Things were light and fun but within moments, the water quickly rose to their chest. Alas recalled a teammate screaming, “Help,” before getting separated from them: “The weird thing was that we were all laughing because we thought he was just joking.”

Within moments, the waves intensified and the current pulled them in.

“I was going down and down. I was gonna accept na mawawala na ako,” he said. “Then after more seconds went by, I felt my feet touch the sand… Tapos ang layo po ng lahat sa ‘kin.”

Moving forward

Alas and Reyes said they are focused on recovering mentally and emotionally.

While they hope to return to basketball, they said it’s not yet the right time. When they do, they want to honor their teammates’ memory.

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