Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) president Fr. Bobby Yap, SJ has accepted the resignation of Tab Baldwin–former head coach of Ateneo Blue Eagles–a week after the tragedy in Dipaculao, Aurora that took the lives of incoming rookie Rene Baterbonia and sophomore Divine Adili. This move–according to Yap–was deemed necessary to ensure full integrity of Ateneo’s sports programs and safety protocols covering them. While Baldwin’s removal from the post is necessary and long overdue, this is nowhere near facing accountability.

Resignation can be seen as a noble act–especially when something is expected from them in response to an issue of this gravity. But losing a position does not answer difficult questions. It does not answer why they had to go all the way to Aurora for a so-called ‘team-building’ nor does it respond to the question of why things escalated to that extent. It leaves the families longing for answers–but this time, they are seeking response from an empty chair.

Moreover, the connotations of withdrawing from a position do not align with what Baldwin is currently doing as a next course of action.

The major issue is that Baldwin’s resignation appears less like an acceptance of responsibility and more like a retreat from it. According to Sunstar, Baldwin did not show up during the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on June 15, 2026 for the fact-finding exercise related to the drowning deaths of student-athletes Baterbonia and Adili. It seems as if resignation is only a convenient mechanism to ease public tension and slowly remove the spotlight from the issue, but Baldwin never intended to face what comes next.

However, reducing this tragedy to the actions of a single individual allows the institution itself to evade the scrutiny it deserves. Accountability isn’t merely Baldwin’s responsibility; it should be shouldered by the entire institution.

It took Ateneo a week before getting rid of Baldwin, on top of that, it was made sure that he was still able to maintain a sense of dignity instead of being outrightly kicked out from the university. Moreover, after the tragedy, there has been a noticeable lack of meaningful action in pursuit of justice and accountability. During the press briefing of Baterbonia’s parents on ANC, it was revealed that explanations regarding the incident were incomplete and no assurance was given that they will investigate and provide transparency. On top of that, Ifeoma Adili–Divide Adili’s mother–called for clear answers as stories weren’t adding up about what had happened with her son.

The university defended itself by saying that the silence was out of respect for the families, but it is clear that the bereaved families demand otherwise. They do not require silence; they wish to know the truth.

If Ateneo and Baldwin are really committed to delivering the justice their two players deserve, they must conduct a transparent, independent investigation into what truly happened and provide a full public report to their families and to the public. On top of that, they owe their current and upcoming players to review athletics safety policies and off-campus activities. Moreover, to ensure that responsibility does not stop at resignation, Baldwin must fully cooperate with all the investigations being conducted which involves appearing in hearings and fact-finding processes.

Without transparency from the institution and cooperation from those directly involved, justice will remain procedural rather than truthful.

Resignation may remove Baldwin’s name from an organizational chart, it may remove his title as the head coach of Ateneo Blue Eagles, but it does not remove responsibility. The deaths of Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili cannot be resolved through silence, delayed statements, or the departure of a single coach. Accountability requires transparency and a genuine effort to determine how a team-building activity became a tragedy that claimed two young lives.

Until those responsible fully cooperate, until the inconsistencies are addressed, and until the families receive the truth they are long deprived of, justice remains unfinished. And while positions can be vacated, the truth cannot.

The Frontman