Players of Ateneo de Manila University are determined to honor the memories of their fallen teammates — Rene Clert Baterbonia and Divine Adili — by seeing action in Season 89 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament.

In a virtual meeting with Ateneo officials last Sunday, the Blue Eagles expressed their willingness to play and chase the UAAP title despite nursing bleeding hearts brought by the tragic passing of Baterbonia and Adili in a fatal drowning incident in Dipaculao, Aurora last week.

Multiple sources told DAILY TRIBUNE that Ateneo executives are seriously mulling the idea of taking a leave of absence, but the players refused, saying that competing in the coming UAAP season is their only way to recover from sadness and grief while honoring the memories of their departed friends.

“I hope you give us a chance to honor the memories of Rene and Divine by playing. Aside from having the chance to win the UAAP title, which we will dedicate to them, we also want to play so that we can recover from the trauma brought by their untimely passing,” a prominent Blue Eagle was quoted as saying during a Zoom meeting with school officials.

“Nobody wanted it to happen, especially us. They are our friends.”

Speculations about Ateneo taking a leave of absence surfaced during Ateneo’s press briefing last Monday.

No less than Ateneo president Fr. Roberto “Bobby” Yap floated the idea but refused to issue any concrete statement in deference to the investigations being conducted by various agencies, including the UAAP board of trustees and managing directors.

“In the UAAP, we don’t have a decision yet on what to do,” Yap said, adding that they will cooperate and accept whatever the UAAP will find out and recommend during its inquiry.

Ateneo vice president for Mission Integration Benjamin Tolosa said they are aware of the players’ willingness to play and dedicate their season to their fallen teammates.

“They want to tell the story and to continue playing. This is who they are,” Tolosa said during the Ateneo Town Hall last Tuesday as reported by The Guidon.

“If Ateneo withdraws, it’s going to be a double jeopardy to us (players). Any decision you will make, we have to get involved.”

Suspension from Season 89 beckons Ateneo if probers found negligence on the part of school officials, team manager Epok Quimpo, and head coach Tab Baldwin that led to one of the darkest incidents in Philippine sports. Quimpo and Baldwin have already resigned and were placed in the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order by the Department of Justice.

Sideliners compare the looming suspension to what happened in 2006 when the UAAP found out that two De La Salle University basketball players forged their school records so that they would be eligible to compete.

The UAAP went hard at the Green Archers and suspended all of their athletes across all sports to give way for a thorough house-cleaning of their varsity program. La Salle, however, was able to put everything in order and even secured the men’s basketball title upon its return.

But Ateneo players are insisting that their case is different.

“It was an accident, a tragedy. None among us, players, wanted it to happen,” a Blue Eagle said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “So, it’s not fair to punish us by taking a leave of absence.”

So far, the impact of a possible leave of absence — or suspension — is slowly being felt.

In fact, some key recruits like Kieffer Alas, Travis Roberts and EJ Kapihe are already reportedly being eyed by other schools, who are anticipating the aftermath of the tragedy.

Alas, for one, has been getting a lot of offers as he has yet to formally enroll, while Roberts and Kapihe are also being wooed for being “one-and-done” players.

Even high school standouts like Matt Cayetano, Macky Pelegrino, JM Sanoria and Rhysus Bajenting have reportedly pulled out their commitments to the Blue Eagles as they brace for the possible impact of Baterbonia and Adili’s tragic deaths.