Ateneo breaks silence over Baldwin silence, urges healing

Ateneo de Manila University said Thursday it asked head coach Tab Baldwin to stay quiet on the deaths of Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili. The request, the school said, was to let official inquiries run their course before any public discussion.

The university released a statement explaining its direction to Baldwin. He was told to focus on the emotional health of players, coaches and staff affected by the tragedy. He was also urged to tend to his own grief.

Ateneo warned that Baldwin's silence should not be read as indifference. The school said the decision placed care, healing and due process ahead of public statements.

Multiple investigations are ongoing. The university expressed confidence that verified facts would emerge from them.

“As the various inquiries proceed, the University remains confident that the truth, established through facts rather than speculation, will in due course provide the clarity and understanding that this tragedy demands,” the statement read.