Less than two weeks since he moved to the Ateneo de Manila University campus, basketball player Rene Baterbonia went home to Mindanao - to tears of family members, friends, and supporters who mourn his tragic passing.

He and fellow student-athlete Divine Adili drowned while at a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora. Read story: https://www.gmanetwork.com/regionaltv/sports/114373/ateneos-rene-baterbonia-divine-adili-die-in-drowning-incident-what-we-know-so-far/story/

Baterbonia’s remains were flown to Mindanao after a short stay at the Arlington Memorial Chapels and Crematory in Quezon City where his teammates and other members of the Ateneo community paid their last respects.

His remains arrived at the Davao International Airport via a private plane shortly before 3 a.m. on Friday, June 12, 2026.

From the airport, a convoy transported his remains to a funeral parlor in Davao City.

The 6-foot-4 Baterbonia is from Talacogon, Agusan del Sur but has long been considered a pride of Davao City having represented the city in basketball.

He was a standout from the Ateneo de Davao University basketball program who made waves in the Palarong Pambansa when he won Most Valuable Player and steered the Davao Eagles to a championship in 2025.

In May 2026, Baterbonia capped his Palaro journey with a silver finish next to eventual champions Region IV-A in the secondary boys’ basketball tournament in the 2026 Palarong Pambansa held in Agusan del Sur.

Ateneo de Manila University was his dream school. He moved into campus on June 4, just four days before the tragic incident on June 8.

The Aurora Provincial Police Office has said he died of asphyxia by drowning. Read story: https://www.gmanetwork.com/regionaltv/sports/114390/ateneo-rookie-rene-baterbonia-died-of-asphyxia-by-drowning-police-confirms/story/

Baterbonia and Adili, a 6-foot-10 Nigerian center for Ateneo, were expected to be integral cogs in Ateneo’s basketball campaign for Season 99 in the UAAP later in 2026.

Adili suited up as the Blue Eagles’ foreign student athlete in Season 88. 

As different agencies started parallel investigations into the incident, Ateneo has announced that men's basketball head coach Tab Baldwin and team manager Christopher Quimpo have gone on leave.

Ateneo also said that Baldwin's silence, so far, is upon the advice of the university. Read story: https://www.gmanetwork.com/regionaltv/sports/114405/ateneo-tab-baldwins-silence-requested-advised-by-university/story/