 |
| Tab Baldwin took responsibility for the loss of his players during a drowning incident on Monday. Dennis Acosta (file photo) |
QUEZON CITY—Ateneo De Manila University head coach Tab Baldwin finally broke his silence four days after the drowning incident of his players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili in Dipaculao, Aurora.
The video statement of Tab Baldwin released by the university through their official social media accounts on Friday night directly addressed the grief of the families who lost their members, whom he acknowledged was greater than his.
"As a coach we are entrusted with the growth of our basketball players, the development of these young men into future professionals. But mostly, as a coach I am entrusted by you, the parents and the families with first and foremost their well-being and in this, I feel I've failed, and I'm sorry," Baldwin said.
He also described the incident as a routine run at shallow waters until they realized that they were in dangerous waters.
He added they did everything as coaches, as persons responsible for that situation.
"The players themselves did everything they could to ensure that everybody arrived back on shore safely. Then we realized that we hadn't accomplished that. In that moment, I experienced the descent into the darkest place imaginable. And yet I knew at the same time that good people people that had done an amazing job raising these two young men were going to be in an even darker more horrible place," Baldwin continued.
He also acknowledged that he failed as a leader, a coach and a friend to Adili, Baterbonia and the entire team.
Baldwin ended the video asking for forgiveness from the families and from those let down by the situation.
"I'm so deeply sorry to not just the families but everybody that feels let down somehow betrayed and I pray that we all find some pathway forward to come back to hope for the future, love for one another, and forgiveness for those of us who failed and tried so desperately hard to reach a better outcome," he concluded.
Baldwin first publicly made an appearance during a prayer vigil inside the Ateneo campus on Thursday night in memory of Baterbonia and Adili.
