Divine and Rene: Brothers First, Forever Remembered

Before their names became part of a tragedy, Divine Adili and Rene “Bobet” Baterbonia were remembered as brothers, friends, sons, teammates, and young men still growing into the lives they dreamed of.

Ateneo de Manila University confirmed that the two members of its men’s basketball team passed away following a drowning incident during a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora, on June 8. Divine was 21. Rene was 19. One had already worn the Ateneo jersey in the UAAP last year. The other was preparing for the stage many believed he was built for.

But in the days after their passing, people have spoken less about basketball and more about who they were away from it.

For UST foreign student-athlete Collins Akowe, Divine was “like a brother.”

“We grew closer every day,” an emotional Akowe shared. “Everyone knew how kind he was. He was an easy-going person, no stress, and had a simple lifestyle.”

That simplicity has become one of the clearest ways people remember Divine. Dominic Escobar recalled one of the first times he saw him in the Philippines. He was on his way to recovery when he noticed a giant of a man riding on the back of a bike. The sight made him laugh. Divine was so much bigger than the bike and its driver that Escobar wondered why he was not in an SUV.

Then someone told him, “Bro, that’s our center.”

The story stayed with him because it captured something honest about Divine. He did not need special treatment. He did not need a fancy ride or someone driving him around. Escobar remembered him as humble, down to earth, always smiling, and always joking.

“He was truly one of the best kids to be around,” Escobar wrote in his Instagram story.

Those who knew Divine often came back to the same words: kind, gentle, loving, easy to be with. Teammates called him their brother. Friends remembered his humor. Others held on to small details, like his love for SpongeBob SquarePants, a character he once said helped him relax because of his carefree joy. It was a detail that made sense to those who knew him. Divine had a softness that stood out, even in a body built for the paint.

“14 will live on,” Escobar wrote.

Rene, meanwhile, is being remembered as a young man who carried more than his own dreams.

From Davao to Manila, he was known as a gifted player with a future ahead of him. But to the people closest to him, his story was never just about talent. It was about family, humility, and the quiet pressure of wanting to make life better for the people he loved.

His former coach in Davao, Jess Evangelio, remembered him as “more than an athlete, more than a teammate.”

“He was a brother, a friend, and an inspiration to everyone who knew him,” Evangelio shared.

Rene’s journey from Ateneo de Davao to Ateneo de Manila carried the hopes of a family and a community that believed in him. Evangelio remembered him as someone who worked tirelessly, not only for himself, but for the people he loved.

“His dedication, kindness, and fighting spirit touched countless lives,” he said.

Those words have echoed through the Ateneo de Davao community, where Rene was remembered with pride and grief. He was a young athlete whose achievements had already made people believe, even before he could play his first UAAP minute.

Karl Batungbacal, an Atenean writer and photographer for ALL-STAR, captured the pain of two futures cut short.

Of Divine, he said that even if the big man may have only remembered him as the Atenean photographer often present at games, he would always take pride in knowing Divine had his unwavering support.

“He’ll always be a Blue Eagle,” Karl wrote.

Of Rene, he added: “Though we’ll never see what Rene could accomplish in the UAAP, his achievements were more than enough to make me a believer.”

Across the Ateneo community, teammates, former players, coaches, and supporters have tried to put their grief into words. Some promised to play and pray for them. Some called them brothers for life. Others asked for prayers, privacy, and respect for the families left behind.

Anthony Brodett, Rene’s manager in Manila, said there were no words for the pain of the moment and urged the public to give the families the privacy they need.

“Let’s keep Bet and Divine and their families in our prayers,” he said.

There will be questions that need answers. There will be time for investigations, accountability, and a clearer understanding of what happened in Aurora. But for those who loved Divine and Rene, remembering them starts somewhere more personal.

Divine was the gentle giant on the back of a bike, smiling through life without needing much. Rene was the dreamer from Davao, carrying his family and community every time he stepped on the court.

They were athletes. They were Blue Eagles.

But before anything else, they were brothers to many.