THE parents of athletes Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia, two members of the Ateneo de Manila University men’s basketball team who died during a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora on June 8, refused to accept the apology offered by head coach Tab Baldwin.
In doing so, they all dismissed the apology as something that would not bring back the lives of their sons.
They also demanded more than an apology, saying no sufficient explanation has been offered to them as to the circumstances of the victims’ deaths.
In video message, Baldwin said: “I feel I failed and I’m sorry…. from the depth of my being, I’m sorry… so deeply sorry not just to the families but eveybody who feelst let down, betrayed.”
Baldwin, who did not immediately surface after the tragic incident, also explained that the Ateneo university “wanted to handle things from the institutional standpoint.
“It was more than a requirement… their determination was not just me but all those involved should refrain from public pronouncements. I guess as head coach, it was kinda incumbent on me to stand before the families and speak to them,” he added.
The parents of Baterbonia and Adili chided Baldwin for alleged failure to contact them and give them updates, among others.
