TALACOGON, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews / 24 June 2026) — Rovelyn Baterbonia arrived at the new municipal cemetery in Barangay Labnig with her family at 10:07 a.m. and as soon as the lid of the white casket was opened two minutes later, wailed upon seeing her son, Rene Clert ‘Bobet’ Noja Baterbonia.
In Cebuano, the mother of Bobet, in a voice shifting from anguish to anger, said she took very good care of her son but those whom she entrusted her son to, did not. Repeatedly, she said, “ayaw gayud pakatulga” (don’t let them sleep), referring to the “coach, staff, all members” of the Ateneo de Manila University’s (ADMU) Blue Eagles basketball team where his son was a new recruit.
The 18-year-old Bobet drowned along with teammate Divine Adili of Nigeria on June 8 in Dipaculao, Aurora, during a “team building” activity.
“Ayaw gayud pakatulga bisan dili sila mutug-an sa tinuod. Gikan sa coach, staff, tanang member ’nak, ayaw baya gyud pakatulga, ayaw, ayaw gayud” (Don’t let them sleep even if they don’t tell the truth. From the coach, staff, all the members, son, never let them sleep. Never. Never), Rovelyn said.
Several relatives, friends, teammates shaded from the scorching heat by tents, and hundreds of mourners under umbrellas beyond the steel barricades around the tents, were seen weeping or wiping away their tears, their sweat mixing with their tears.
Thank you, son
Addressing Bobet, Rovelyn thanked him for everything, for his being a good son, for his help. “Salamat sa tanan ‘nak. Salamat sa kaayo mo. Salamat sa pagtabang mo. Salamat sa tanan ‘nak.”
Rovelyn’s voice rose in crescendo again as she vowed justice for her son. “Basta kini akong siguradohon, (inaudible) para makab-ot ko kung unsa gyud tinuod sa kamatayon mo” (I assure you … so I can get to the truth about your death).
The autopsy report on Bobet indicated he died of asphyxia from drowning. His family learned about the tragedy shortly before 5 p.m. on June 8. Rovelyn said somebody sent her a message and said they would call but she ended up calling that person who told her on the phone that her son died.
No further details were given on what happened. By midnight, all that the family knew was that Bobet was dead.
Rovelyn, her husband Rene Sr. and eldest son Rubeyan, flew to Manila the next day, courtesy of the Governor of Agusan del Sur, Santiago Cane. The governor made the arrangements after learning from the Baterbonias that they wanted to go to Manila to see Bobet.
Cane told MindaNews on Tuesday that he asked Rovelyn if somebody had contacted them for travel arrangements but Rovelyn replied no one did, and that they had no money to go to Manila.
The family flew to Manila via Butuan City and arrived there afternoon of June 9.
“Ayaw gyud sila pakatulga”
“Ginsayangan lang ka nila. Ginsayangan. Grabe pangga ko kanimo. Tanan kamo ispesyal. Wa ta kamo biya-i bisan unsa kalisud wa ta kamo biya-i. Wa ta kamo biya-i” (They did not value you. They did not. You are all special to me. I never left all of you, no matter how difficult. I never left you. I never left you).
At 11:07 a.m., when the lid of the coffin was about to be closed after the final rites officiated by Fr. Joseph Audiencia of Loreto in Agusan del Sur, Rovelyn spoke her last words to her son, still repeating her earlier message: “Anak, ayaw gayud sila pakatulga” (son, don’t let them sleep).
When the lid was finally closed, Rovelyn screamed “’nak Ayaw gayud sila pakatulga. Gikan sa staff, coach, player, ayaw gayud pakatulga, ayaw gayud pakatulga… Jersey ilahang gihatag nako, walay pasaylo. Tungod ba kay pobre kita, dili sila mangayog pasaylo kanato?” (Son, don’t let them sleep. From the staff, coach, player, never let them sleep, never let them sleep… They gave me a jersey, but did not seek forgiveness. Because we are poor, they will not ask forgiveness from us?)
“Hustisya! Hustisya!” the crowd chanted.
Apologies
The Philippine Star in its June 10 report said Rovelyn told a press conference that officials from the Ateneo de Manila University personally apologized to her at Arlington Memorial Homes in Quezon City.
The report quoted her as saying, “Umiyak ako kasi sinabi nila na aksidente lang daw, and then humingi rin sila ng sorry sa akin pero ‘yun sabi ko hindi maibabalik (ng) sorry (‘yung) anak ko. Hindi na mabubuhay ‘yung anak ko sa sorry n’yo,” (I cried because they said it was an accident, and then they said sorry to me but your sorry cannot bring me back my son. My son won’t live anymore even if you say sorry),
ADMU President Fr. Roberto Yap publicly extended his apologies to the families of Bobet and Adili in a press conference on June 15, exactly a week after their death.
“To the families of Rene and Divine, we see you, we hear you, we acknowledge the unbearable pain of your mourning. We know that the grief you carry right now is compounded by an anger that is entirely natural, justified, and deeply human. On behalf of Ateneo de Manila University, I am here to say, simply and directly, we are truly, deeply sorry,” Yap said.
“We apologize unreservedly to the families and to our entire community for the agonizing pain of this tragedy. Two young men entrusted to our care did not return home, and that fact breaks our hearts. No explanation, context, or words can undo that loss,” he said.
16 days
Baterbonia’s funeral came 16 days after his death. His remains were transported from Dipaculao, Aurora on June 8 to Arlington Memorial Chapels in Quezon City, to Davao City on June 12 and was supposed to arrive in Talacogon evening of June 15 but arrived at 1:20 p.m. after a journey that took 18 hours because crowds gathered along the national highway to express their grief and pay their respects.
The funeral Mass started at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday inside the Municipal Evacuation Center that also serves as the municipal gym in Barangay San Agustin.
Those who attended nearly filled the gym. Mayor Pauline Marie R. Masendo said it has a seating capacity of 4,000.
The Mass was celebrated by seven priests led by Fr. Leo Madelo, Vicar-General of the Diocese of Prosperidad in Agusan del Sur.*
(*An earlier version of this story identified Fr. Leo Madelo as Vicar-General of the Diocese of Butuan. The Diocese of Prosperidad in Agusan del Sur was carved out of the Diocese of Butuan in October 2024. Fr. Madelo now serves as Vicar-General for Pastoral Affairs of the Diocese of Prosperidad.)
A special glass-encased and stainless steel hearse from Funeraria Gamalinda in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, about a hundred kilometers from Talacogon, was used to transport Baterbonia’s white casket from the gym to the cemetery in Barangay Labnig, 6.8 kilometers away. It took nearly an hour for the funeral convoy to arrive at the cemetery, for a travel that would have taken less than 10 minutes on ordinary days.
Some of those who attended the Mass did not proceed to the cemetery.
Many of those who attended came from other parts of Mindanao, some came from Luzon and the Visayas.
Dr. Joan Grace Palconit, Principal of the Ateneo de Davao University-Senior High School (ADDU-SHS), led a delegation of two busloads of faculty, administrative staff, coaches, teammates. The ADMU sent Fr. Joaquin Jose Mari Sumpaico III, Vice President for Basic Education. He was among the seven priests during the mass at the gym.
Senator Robinhood Padilla also attended.
DAVRAA
Rovelyn and her family wore specially made jerseys of DAVRAA (Davao Regional Athletic Association) over their shirts, with Rubeyan, the eldest, given the number 1, their mother the number 7 and number 8 for the father. Renz, the brother after Bobet, wore number 3.
Bobet, who was honed in basketball while a scholar at the Ananda Marga Special Academic Institution in Davao City (2022 to 2024), moved to the ADDU-SHS for Grades 11 and 12 in 2024 to 2026 and was one of the members of the DAVRAA team in the 2025 and 2026 Palarong Pambansa.
DAVRAA won the basketball championship for the first time in 2025 and Baterbonia was MVP. DAVRAA won second this year.
Bobet graduated from the ADDU-SHS in April and arrived in the ADMU campus on June 4, where he was going to be an incoming freshman and new recruit of the Blue Eagles.
Four days later, he and Adili drowned during a “team building” activity in Aurora. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)
