Ateneo de Manila University has officially accepted the resignations of Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin and team manager Christopher “Epok” Quimpo following the tragic drowning of two student-athletes in Aurora province.
The leadership departures come one week after the fatal June 8 incident, which claimed the lives of student-athletes Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili during a team-building excursion.
University President Fr. Roberto Yap, SJ, announced the decision during a press briefing on Monday, June 15.
He indicated that the university is launching a rigorous evaluation of its athletic department’s safety guidelines and standards.
“Effective immediately… We thank him for the years of service to the Blue Eagles but as we enter a period of deep institutional review, change in leadership is necessary to ensure the full integrity of our sports programs and safety protocols covering them. We must look inward, examine our systems and rebuild a stronger athletics program,” Yap stated.
The resignations of Baldwin and Quimpo, which were also confirmed by the university’s student publication The Guidon, take place amid intense public and internal scrutiny regarding the oversight of school-sanctioned events. The university administration noted that the investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy remains its primary focus.
In response to the incident, Ateneo has pledged full assistance to the grieving families, including covering all expenses related to travel and the transport of the students’ remains.
“We offer to shoulder all the costs of Rene’s family from Agusan to Manila so that they will be with him,” Yap added.
University officials confirmed they are maintaining continuous communication with the families of both Baterbonia and Adili while conducting a comprehensive internal audit of the athletic department’s safety protocols.