The legal counsel for the family of a deceased Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) basketball player has requested the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue an immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO) against head coach Tab Baldwin.
Atty. Israelito Torreon, representing the family of 19-year-old player Rene Cler Baterbonia, submitted the formal request in a June 10 letter addressed to Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida.
The move follows the June 8 drowning incident in Dipaculao, Aurora, which claimed the lives of Baterbonia and his 21-year-old teammate, Divine Adili, during a team-building trip.
Torreon emphasized that Baldwin’s participation is crucial to the ongoing investigation regarding the tragic event.
“He (Baldwin) is, at the very least, a material person whose knowledge may be indispensable in determining the circumstances surrounding the team-building activity, including who planned it, who authorized it, who supervised it, what safety protocols were in place, who approved the venue and itinerary, what warnings were given, what emergency response arrangements existed, and whether the activities conducted were consistent with reasonable standards of care for student-athletes,” the lawyer stated.
The attorney clarified that seeking an ILBO is not a punitive measure, nor does it function as a court-issued hold departure order (HDO), which requires formal criminal charges to be filed first.
Instead, Torreon described the requested mechanism as a precautionary tool to monitor Baldwin’s travel and alert law enforcement agencies—such as the DOJ, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Philippine National Police (PNP)—should the coach attempt to leave the country while the investigation is underway.
Although local authorities initially found no signs of foul play in the drownings, the DOJ has officially ordered the NBI to launch a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy.