MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida has issued an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) against the following individuals:
1. Thomas Anthony “Tab” Baldwin, former head coach of Ateneo men’s basketball team
2. Christopher Quimpo, former team manager
3. Reynaldo Jacinto, Jr., assistant coach
4. Mr. Dean Castaño, assistant coach
5. Mr. Sandro Soriano, assistant coach
“Considering the ongoing investigation into the deaths of the two Ateneo de Manila University student-athletes and the seriousness of the allegations being examined by our law enforcement agencies, I have signed today an ILBO against these individuals,” Vida said in a press conference.
An ILBO is different from a court-issued hold departure order (HDO) since the former only directs the Bureau of Immigration to be on the lookout for the subject, and to verify the status of a case against the subject person, and not to restrict an individual from leaving the country.
“It is intended to alert authorities should the subjects attempt to travel abroad,” Vida explained.
The five persons are under investigation for the drowning of Ateneo de Manila University basketball players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili.
The two athletes were reportedly swept away by current during a supposed training exercise along the shoreline of Dipaculao, Aurora on June 8, 2026.
Vida said the investigation will examine potential liabilities of both the individual coaches and the university, pointing out that educational institutions carry a “substitute parental authority” when students participate in university-sanctioned events.”
“The question here is: Was there negligence? If there was negligence, clearly someone died. Was this an accident, or was there a failure to exercise the due diligence required by school authorities and those part of this university-sponsored activity?” the justice secretary asked in a mix English and Tagalog.
Vida said they are coordinating with the school administration that is conducting an internal investigation.
“The Department of Justice will base its actions strictly on evidence,” he emphasized.
“Let us avoid being judgmental or letting biases cloud the investigation while the evidence is being gathered and assessed,” he told the public.
The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP–CIDG) on Wednesday said its probe so far indicated that the tragedy was not an accident. /apl
