'Divine is there': Adili's parents watch Blue Eagles win one for their son

MANILA, Philippines -- Divine Adili’s parents have long wanted to watch their son play in a UAAP game. 

On Wednesday afternoon, they were able to see the Ateneo Blue Eagles in action, but under different circumstances. 

Exactly 100 days since the tragic team building that killed Adili and Rene Baterbonia, the foreign student-athletes' parents, Ifeoma and Elias, were in attendance at the Mall of Asia Arena to watch Ateneo. 

On Wednesday, the Blue Eagles, with “DA | BR” patches on their jerseys, swooped down on the University of the East Red Warriors in dominant fashion, 101-74. 

“I'm delighted to be here, but I wish I am watching my son. But I really appreciate what I see because I know that my son is there. Divine and Rene, they are there. They might be invisible, but I know my son is there,” an emotional Ifeoma told reporters. 

“But I wish to come to the Philippines to watch my son play because that's what I've been desiring. And I know my son desired that, to bring us to the Philippines to come and watch him live, though we have been watching every one of his games,” he added. 

Adili first suited up for Ateneo in the UAAP last season. It turned out to be his only year in the collegiate league. 

“We have been watching every [one] of his games since he came to the Philippines, and he desired to bring us here. But it's unfortunate that we come to the Philippines to watch other of his [teammates] without him. But it's fine. It's good. God knows the best.” 

As expected, the Adilis bared that the past 100 days have been tough for them. 

“Honestly, to be honest with you, it has not been easy. I tried to move on. But honestly, it has not been easy for me. Even as I entered the Philippines, the moment I stepped in at the airport, I felt so emotional. And I prayed to God to always, since three days that we have been in the Philippines, I have been praying that God should give me the heart,” Ifeoma said. 

“But I don't want to cry. But unfortunately today, the moment I stepped into the [arena,] I saw myself crying. But it's fine.” 

Elias also had a poignant response. 

“Since the 18th of June, the date of the incident, I can tell you that men do cry. But their tears flow into their hearts. It flows into their hearts. And that's why we die early. But I thank God for sustaining me up to this moment,” he said. 

“If you see tears in my eyes, it's another flow of the tears in my heart. So we have to live with it. There's nothing we can do. We can't bring him back. We have cried, we have shed tears, we have complained. But there's nothing we can do.” 

Elias and Ifeoma arrived in the Philippines earlier this week. But they went to the country not just to watch the UAAP, but also to know the truth that will “set us free.” 

“We talked to the teammates. Because they are the ones that will tell us what happened, because they were present at the place of scene. So they explained everything,” Elias said. 

“That's where we saw clips. Clips from some people. How the two escaped, how the two saved their own lives, how Divine and Rene couldn't make it. And we heard from them. That was our purpose of coming. To see the team. To talk with them. To tell us the truth.” 

And while they have heard from his son’s teammates, Ifeoma bared that former Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin spoke to them “very late.” 

“We talked with the coach that took them to that place. But honestly, to be honest with you, I don't know about my husband, I'm talking about myself. He spoke to us very late. About four days after the incident, which is not proper,” she said. 

“I am not okay with that. But to be honest with you. Since then, we've not heard from him. And, it’s okay, it’s okay. It’s okay.” 

Elias said that Baldwin apologized to them for what happened. 

Ateneo earlier said they are dedicating this season to Baterbonia and Adili. 

With rookie star Kieffer Alas leading the way, they had an explosive debut in the UAAP over the Red Warriors. 

Ateneo will take on University of the Philippines on Saturday.