Coach Tab Baldwin’s credibility crisis

Coach Tab Baldwin’s credibility crisis Two young men were killed. Rene Baterbonia, 18, and Divine Adili, 21, drowned in what was supposed to be a team-building exercise. We now face a stark reality. The man who ran their program tells one story and his own players tell another altogether.Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin says he saw nothing, heard nothing, that no one ever got in trouble at these camps; nothing dangerous ever happened. His former players see it differently. Aaron Black remembers 2016. Babilonia can recall being pulled under the water, yelling for help, and being saved by Baldwin himself on a surfboard. This gap was a “big inconsistency,” said Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla. That’s diplomatic speak for what it really is: a lie. What kind of coach forgets that he paddled out on a surfboard to rescue a drowning teen? This is no small point. This is no drill to forget. That’s a moment for the brand to burn into memory—the moment you realize how close to death your player was.Parents rely on coaches to look after their kids. The coach is a surrogate parent for a whole season. This is holy trust. It’s bigger than any trophy or any championship or any award. That trust is broken forever when a coach is not being truthful about what happened in his program.Baldwin has resigned but resignation is an escape hatch not accountability. The CIDG’s recommendation also includes assistant coaches, student managers and even ball boys who carried equipment. Here the investigation loses its moral compass.Command responsibility lies with the person who has power. Baldwin designed the camp. Baldwin picked the beach. Baldwin established the culture and the bar. If responsibility is to mean anything it must climb toward him, not down to the young men fetching cones. The accountability chain should extend to the head coach—and maybe his immediate assistants. To do otherwise would be a travesty of justice.”Baldwin knew that these waters could kill. He had saved one of them already. But when two boys died he apparently could not tell the truth about what he knew and what he had seen.The coach who says he has a “Band of Brothers” based on the principle of leaving no one behind owes his players the truth. He owed it to them before June 8th. Now he’s in debt to them. He owes a debt to their families.” He owes it to the people. Championships may have many fathers, but accountability must have a name. That’s Tab Baldwin’s name. Sixth consecutive COA Unmodified Opinions prove QC-LGU’s fiscal integrity QC Mayor Joy Belmonte and her administration have achieved an unprecedented sixth consecutive Unmodified Opinions from the Commission on Audit (COA), an extraordinary accomplishment and a powerful affirmation of the highest standards of financial professionalism and public service. An Unmodified Opinion from the Commission on Audit represents the gold standard in government financial auditing. It signifies that the LGU’s financial statements are prepared with accuracy, that all transactions are recorded with precision, and that the organization demonstrates unwavering compliance with applicable government accounting and reporting standards.. Mayor Belmonte herself articulated the profound significance of this achievement, emphasizing that it reflects far more than mere regulatory compliance. “We view good financial management not simply as a compliance requirement, but as a responsibility to every QCitizen who places their trust in us,” she declared. This philosophy encapsulates the heart of her administration’s approach to stewardship of public resources. COA -QC Supervising auditor Nick Zamoras presented the sixth Unmodified Opinion award to Mayor Belmonte, City Administrator Michael Alimurung and Internal Audit Service Head Atty. Noel Gascon. The mayor’s message to QCitizens has been clear and consistent: “Ang bawat buwis na binabayad ng taumbayan ay dapat suklian ng tapat at de-kalidad na serbisyo”—(every tax paid by the people must be answered with honest and quality service) . This commitment to reciprocal accountability has fostered a relationship of trust between the city government and its residents. Perhaps the most powerful validation of Mayor Belmonte’s financial stewardship comes from the QCitizens themselves. In QC LGU official Facebook account, one Shirley Fuentes captured the sentiment perfectly, noting that six consecutive years of unmodified opinions serve as “proof of clean, honest, and proper use of funds for the benefit of QCitizens.” A Silvester Crisologo praised the achievement as “remarkable recognition of good governance and responsible use of the city’s funds,” while expressing hope that transparency, accountability, and quality service would continue to flourish. One Gwen Ramos also echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that such results demonstrate genuine good governance, while a certain Natalia Morales succinctly captured the broader implication of this achievement: “That says a lot about how serious the city government is in managing our money.” Just last week, Mayor Belmonte, a member of the Mayors for good governance , was cited by DILG for passing the 2025 Good Financial Housekeeping for LGU’s , its measure for outstanding financial transparency and accountability. Earlier this month which I cited in a previous column, Belmonte received the 2026 Exemplar City Mayor Award conferred by the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) and the Angelo King Foundation Inc. Launched this year, the award recognizes third-term city mayors who have demonstrated “holistic public service” through programs under four key pillars. These include integrity and anti-graft governance, fiscal and financial governance, business-friendliness and competitiveness and human development. Belmonte was recognized for her commitment to exceptional leadership, transparency and sustainable human development. I need not say more.