Every single day that went by without a face of the Ateneo de Manila to talk about the nightmare in Dipaculao, Aurora on June 8 … was and is like a nightmare in and of itself. Because we know that when a crisis of this magnitude happens, someone must face the people and the press, someone must apologize and explain, someone must take responsibility and declare accountability. In the early afternoon of Monday, June 15, a good friend messaged to say that some of the boys - the Ateneo Mens Basketball Team players - wanted to talk, to tell us what happened in Dipaculao. So, at 6:00pm in the studios of The Pod Network, Kieffer Alas, 19 years old, 1st year AB Psych, Jersey # 1; and Sam Reyes, 21 years old, 3rd year AB IS, Jersey # 34 told me the whole story. The overaching, main and major question I posed to Kieff and Sam was simple: “what happened?” And I listened. This is worth the watch, and the wait. 🦅🏀 (Yes, ADMU finally held a presscon early Monday afternoon to issue a formal apology to the families of Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili.)
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What’s even more concerning is how some people have become so attached to the narrative they've created that any new information that doesn't fit it is immediately dismissed or treated with suspicion. It's as if they've already decided what they want the truth to be, and anything that contradicts that version is automatically seen as a cover-up. That's not seeking justice—that's seeking validation for a conclusion they've already made. If we truly care about what happened to Rene and Divine, then we should be willing to follow the facts wherever they lead, not only when they align with the story we want to believe. Real people are grieving, and they deserve better than to be reduced to characters in an online narrative. Hindi kayo nakakatulong sa mga speculations niyo.
These kids are still on trauma. They almost died, their friends died. Please be kind, they did their best. It’s not their fault.
Purely an accident, but 100% preventable. Total negligence from the coaching staff
We all feel for Rene and Divine, but these are kids too who could have died. Yet, people bash them as if it was their fault they survived.
coaching staff talaga at ateneo university dapat sisihin dito, hindi itong mga batang to muntikan n din sila mamatay
"Nabuhay nga po kami, pero parang pinapatay po kami." Nakakalungkot
Damn. These kids did not deserve to experience this trauma. Ateneo should be held accountable.
From what I saw in Pia Hontiveros' interview, the trauma these two young athletes experienced was written all over their faces. You could hear it in the way they spoke and see it in the way they carried themselves. My heart truly goes out to them. Regardless of whether Ateneo is ultimately allowed to participate in the UAAP Men's Basketball tournament this year, I believe these young men need time to heal first. What they went through was deeply traumatic, and emotional and psychological recovery should take priority over competition. They may be athletes, but they are also human beings. The scars left by such a tragic incident do not simply disappear overnight. More than basketball, they need support, understanding, and the space to process everything they have been through. This entire situation is heartbreaking. I sincerely hope they receive the help, counseling, and care they need to heal and move forward.
This was a deeply traumatic experience for these athletes. These two nearly lost their lives to drowning, and while they survived, the emotional and psychological impact of such a tragic incident should not be overlooked. As athletes, they are trained to be physically strong, but experiences like this can leave lasting scars that may require counseling, therapy, and support to heal. My heart goes out to them and to everyone affected by this tragedy. I sincerely hope they receive the care they need and that this experience will not negatively affect their mental well-being or their future performance as athletes. Surviving the incident does not mean they escaped the trauma.
oh my gosh guys... can we please stop attacking those who survived? i understand the anger. i understand the grief. i understand wanting answers. we all want to know what happened. we all wish things had turned out differently. but imagine being one of the people who survived. imagine watching your teammates disappear before your eyes. imagine realizing that no matter what you did, you couldn't save everyone. imagine carrying that memory for the rest of your life. and now imagine opening social media only to see strangers blaming you for surviving. as a psych student, one thing i've learned is not everyone can immediately speak up after experiencing something horrifying. some people cry. some people go silent. some people replay the incident in their heads over and over again, trying to make sense of it. trauma doesn't come with a script y'all. the fact that they did not speak publicly right away does not mean they didn't care. it does not mean they are hiding something. it does not mean they are unaffected. remember that they have lost teammates, friends, people they trained with, laughed with, and spent countless hours with. the grief we feel from afar is heartbreaking enough. now imagine the grief of those who were actually there. before we judge their silence, let's remember that survival itself can be traumatic. they are victims of this tragedy too. let's seek the truth, yes. let's ask questions, yes. but please! pleaseee... let's not forget our humanity in the process.
Grabe itong mga bashers. They almost drowned themselves. They are traumatized. Support them before they suffer depression. Hindi madali ang ma depressed.
Kieffer and Sam, thank you so much for the vulnerability. Your stories helped shed light on a lot of things. I cannot help but think that these events were happening too much, too fast, too soon (which is a shorthand definition of trauma). I can only imagine how much strength and courage it took for you both to put your experiences into words. I’m so sorry that this role fell into your shoulders. I’m so sorry if the adults around you did not do enough to protect you both. I hope you both can give yourself grace and compassion as you go through this difficult time. You both did what you could with what you knew at that time, and no one wanted this to happen. Praying for you and your entire team to get the support that you need.
Coach had a meeting about RIP CURRENT --- so he knows from the start, he should really be liable. Isa pang shunga yun nagpahinto sa CPR nung dalawa... it's really crucial!! Dapat naka 3 cycles muna bago buhatin papunta sa sasakyan at itakbo sa hospital. Malambot pa ang body at hindi pa bloated.. sa unang pump nung nag cpr may lumalabas ng water eh. Kung sana may kaalaman lang sila sa CPR baka na save pa. :(
God saw everything.
I feel bad for the survivors who are being unfairly blamed without the full story. In life-or-death situations, instinct often drives us to save ourselves first — that doesn’t make anyone less human. Still, negligence from the coaching staff, resort, and untrained rescuers cannot be ignored. Survivors are in shock and trauma, and not everything you see online is real. Accountability must be upheld, but compassion for those who almost lost their lives is equally important. Justice for Rene and Divine, empathy for those who survived. STOP BLAMING THE PLAYERS!!!
Listening to their stories breaks my heart. Many of them thought last moments na nila. Some naka inom na ng seawater while desperately trying to survive, tas were pulled away by the waves. Grabe thats hard to imagine the fear and trauma they went through. May you slowly recover from the fear, and memories of that tragic experience. Rene and Divine, Rest in eternal peace. 🥺
They are also victims, grabe sa fb & ig mabash ang mga players. Grabe agad sa pag judge, thank you for speaking up, Sam & Kieffer!
Kindness is free. Let us also pray for these boys.
It’s good to hear your side guys, never mind the bashing who insists on their own conspiracy theories. God knows ur truth and u shared it. May ur teammate Rene & D rest in peace. ❤
I have been a physician for 22 years and have witnessed and treated psychological trauma like what these kids are going through. For anyone to even think it was their fault or blame them is just traumatizing them again. Just keep your baseless opinions to yourselves please.