Who was Rene Baterbonia? Rising basketball star who passed in drowning incident

Rene Baterbonia was poised to begin the next chapter of his promising basketball career with Ateneo de Manila University in the UAAP.

But before Baterbonia could don the Blue Eagles jersey, his journey was tragically cut short following a drowning incident that also claimed the life of fellow student-athlete Divine Adili.

According to Ateneo, Baterbonia and Adili passed away during a team building on Monday in Dipaculao, Aurora. Baterbonia was 19 while Adili was 21.

READ MORE | Ateneo recruit Rene Baterbonia, foreign student athlete Divine Adili die in drowning incident

The 6-foot-4 Baterbonia rose to fame in the Palarong Pambansa, where he represented the Davao region with Ateneo de Davao.

In the 2025 edition, Baterbonia and fellow rising cager Macky Pelegrino took charge to help the region defeat Western Visayas in the finals and deliver DAVRAA's first-ever Palarong Pambansa basketball title. That same edition included an MVP award and a Mythical Five selection for him.

He was also part of the team that clinched a gold medal in the 14th ASEAN School Games in Brunei in November 2025.

Ateneo de Davao returned with the same grit in 2026 Palarong Pambansa in Baterbonia's hometown, Agusan del Sur. The defending champions once again reached the finals but eventually lost to Region IV-A to miss out on the back-to-back titles.

Still, Baterbonia left the Palarong Pambansa with a lasting legacy.

He was set to suit up for Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP starting in Season 89, where he was expected to work alongside Jared Bahay and Kieffer Alas under head coach Tab Baldwin.

—JMB, GMA News