Ateneo de Davao recruits move to La Salle Zobel after Baterbonia, Adili deaths

MANILA, Philippines – After previously committing to the Ateneo de Manila High School basketball program, Ateneo de Davao University High School recruits Matt Cayetano, Macky Peligrino, JM Sanoria, and Rhysus Bajentin will now be suiting up for De La Salle Santiago Zobel in Muntinlupa City.

Ateneo de Davao’s head basketball coach Jess Evangelio confirmed the four junior standouts’ move from Katipunan to Alabang on Saturday, June 20.

“We are truly thankful to La Salle Zobel for opening its doors and providing them with the opportunity to grow not only as athletes, but also as students and young men of character. Your trust and belief in their potential mean so much to all of us,” Evangelio wrote.

The quartet’s decision to withdraw from the Ateneo de Manila High School program comes just weeks after the Ateneo men’s basketball team’s team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora, claimed the lives of incoming freshman Rene Baterbonia and Nigerian center Divine Adili on June 8.

Baterbonia had been teammates with Peligrino, Cayetano, Sanoria, and Bajentin in Ateneo de Davao. During the 2025 Palarong Pambansa in Ilocos Norte, their team successfully gave Davao Region a historic gold in the secondary boys’ basketball competition.

“We do not take this opportunity lightly. Our boys are committed to working hard, staying humble, and representing the Lasallian community with pride, discipline, and integrity, both on and off the court,” Evangelio added.

Following the news, Cayetano said in a Facebook update that this decision was “for Bet” — referring to Baterbonia, whose nickname was “Bobet.”

Ateneo de Manila University’s graduating class of 2026 had also sported black armbands and staged a walkout on their graduation day on June 19 to protest the school’s response to the deaths of Baterbonia and Adili. – Rappler.com

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