UAAP Permanently Bans Tab Baldwin but Allows Ateneo to Compete in Season 89

MANILA, Philippines – The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) has issued a permanent ban on former Ateneo de Manila University head coach Tab Baldwin following the deaths of student-athletes Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili. Despite this, the league has allowed the Ateneo Blue Eagles men’s basketball team to participate in the upcoming Season 89.

On August 7, the UAAP announced that Baldwin, 68, is barred from all league-related activities in any coaching, administrative, advisory, or official capacity. He is also prohibited from entering any UAAP competition venues. This sanction is final and cannot be appealed. The decision was made after considering Ateneo’s internal investigation and the findings of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Baldwin, who led Ateneo to four UAAP championships including a three-peat from 2017 to 2019, faces the most severe penalty among those involved. Meanwhile, several other members of the Ateneo basketball staff have been suspended pending further notice. These include former team manager Epok Quimpo; assistant coaches Dean Castaño, Sandro Soriano, Jon Jacinto, and Hernan Domingo; strength and conditioning coaches CJ Elumba and Grant Dearns; and physical therapist Jerick Rueca. They are barred from participating in UAAP competitions and related activities and from entering competition venues in an official capacity. Unlike Baldwin’s sanction, their suspensions may be appealed according to UAAP rules.

The UAAP’s ruling comes nearly two months after the tragic drowning of Baterbonia, 18, and Adili, 21, during a seawater activity that was part of Ateneo’s team-building exercises in Dipaculao, Aurora, on June 8. The incident prompted investigations by government agencies, including the PNP-CIDG and the NBI, as well as Ateneo’s own independent inquiry.

Importantly, the UAAP noted that the government investigations did not recommend holding the student-athletes present during the incident liable. The league recognized these remaining players as victims and allowed Ateneo to continue competing in the league. The UAAP emphasized that the team’s continued participation reflects the student-athletes’ expressed desire to honor their fallen teammates through competition.

As a condition for Ateneo’s participation in Season 89, the UAAP has mandated a comprehensive reassessment of the organizational structure and management of the men’s basketball team. This review will extend to the university’s entire athletics program with the goal of strengthening student-athlete protection, welfare, accountability, and institutional oversight.

The UAAP described its sanctions as both protective and restorative. The league aims to ensure accountability, enhance safeguards for student-athletes’ welfare, address the harm caused by the incident, and reinforce lessons learned to foster a safer and more responsible environment across all member schools.

Season 89 of the UAAP, hosted by Far Eastern University, is scheduled to begin on September 12. The league’s decision balances the need for accountability with the desire to support the affected student-athletes and uphold the integrity of collegiate sports in the Philippines.