Coach Tab Baldwin and two other Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) officials stayed away from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group’s fact-finding session at Camp Crame on Monday, June 15, leaving the university’s legal counsel to stand in for them.
The development came as the PNP-CIDG worked to establish how student-athletes Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili drowned on June 8 during a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora. Of the five Ateneo management figures called to the session, only University Athletics Office director Em Fernandez showed up, according to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
“Mr. Baldwin did not appear, Mr. Epok Quimpo did not appear, Fr. Nemy did not appear. However, Ateneo sent their lawyers here para magpaliwanag ng role nila pero hindi sila kasama sa subpoena,” Remulla told reporters.
The names cited refer to men’s basketball team manager Christopher “Epok” Quimpo and ADMU professor Fr. Nemesio “Nemy” Que. Remulla said the university was within its rights to send legal representation in place of the summoned individuals.
A fresh round of subpoenas will follow, the interior chief said, with the same officials expected to report back on Friday, June 19. Skipping that appearance carries heavier consequences. “A second absence will warrant a contempt of court if they do not attend,” Remulla warned.
He pushed back on any suggestion that the proceedings were adversarial, framing them strictly as an effort to piece together what happened rather than to assign blame. The agency, he said, has no intention of making arrests or filing charges at this stage and is focused only on gathering facts.
Beyond the management tier, investigators are widening the circle of those they want to question. Remulla indicated that the team’s players themselves are next in line to receive summons as the probe moves forward.
