10/06/2026
“HINDI KO PA SIYA KAYA KAUSAPIN”
Rovelyn Baterbonia said she is not yet ready to face Ateneo de Manila University basketball coach Tab Baldwin following the death of her son, basketball sensation Rene Clert Baterbonia.
“Sa ngayon, kung magharap kami ngayon, parang hindi ko pa siya kaya kausapin…Unahin ko muna yung anak ko,” the grieving mother told reporters in a press conference on June 10, 2026.
She said for now, she wants to focus on bringing the remains of her son to their hometown in Agusan del Sur.
The elder Baterbonia was also asked if she planned to sue the parties behind the tragedy.
“Hindi ko pa alam ngayon. Isa lang alam ko ngayon, yung anak ko muna ang uunahin ko bago (ako gumawa ng hakbang) kasi umaasa ako na meron silang maibibigay na exact information sa akin,” she said.
Baterbonia and his teammate Divine Adili died in a drowning incident during a Blue Eagles’ team-building activity at a private resort in Dipaculao, Aurora on June 8, 2026.
Aurora Police Provincial Director P/Col. Percival Pineda revealed in a separate media interview that the players’ cause of death was “asphyxia by drowning.”
Pineda previously said initial results of their probe indicated it was a “purely natural accident” and “no foul play” was involved.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) “to create a task force to conduct a thorough, comprehensive, and impartial investigation.”
Three congressmen have also filed a resolution urging the House of Representatives to launch a legislative inquiry into the tragedy.
