Ateneo de Manila University said its men’s basketball head coach and team manager will step aside during an independent inquiry into the deaths of two student-athletes who were swept away during a ‘team building’ activity earlier this week.

Head coach Thomas Anthony “Tab” Baldwin and team manager Christopher “Epok” Quimpo will go on leave for the duration of the investigation to preserve its integrity, independence, and fairness, the university said in an online statement.

Ateneo continues to mourn the deaths of student-athletes Rene Clert Baterbonia and Chukwuemeka Divine Adili, calling the tragedy a profound loss for the university community and expressing solidarity with their families, teammates, and loved ones.

The university said its Board of Trustees has ordered a comprehensive fact-finding inquiry to determine what happened, review athletic safety protocols, and reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the incident.

Based on initial accounts from those present, the team was conducting a conditioning exercise in knee-deep water near a shoreline on Monday, June 8, when it was suddenly struck by large waves and a strong rip current.

Most players managed to return safely, but Baterbonia and Adili were pulled away and later lost. The university emphasized that no weights were used during the exercise.

Ateneo said the independent panel will interview all individuals present and submit its findings directly to the Board of Trustees for appropriate action in accordance with due process and legal standards.

The university also said it is cooperating fully with national authorities and relevant regulatory bodies conducting separate investigations.

“We ask our community for their continued prayers as we navigate this dark chapter,” the statement said.