Baldwin admits lack of foreign employment permit since 2013

Irish Trisha Tuscano

Former Ateneo men’s basketball coach Thomas Anthony “Tab” Baldwin admitted before the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on June 29 that he has not held an Alien Employment Permit (AEP) since 2013.

Baldwin was summoned after the deaths of two Ateneo student-athletes during a team-building activity in Aurora, prompting scrutiny of his compliance with labor requirements.

He explained that he and his legal representatives believed his permanent resident visa exempted him from the requirement, leading to the lapse.

Ateneo officials were unaware of the documentation shortfall throughout Baldwin’s tenure, as they operated under the same assumption.

“Nobody ever advised me that I should have an AEP card, I was only told that a permanent residency visa would satisfy my employment requirements,” Baldwin said.

The AEP is an official authorization from DOLE that allows a foreign national to engage in gainful employment in the Philippines.

Past attempts and records

Baldwin recalled receiving a partially filled AEP application form by email in 2015 but said he could not remember completing or submitting it.

DOLE records confirmed that Baldwin neither filed for an AEP nor applied for a certificate of exemption.

“I do not have nor do I believe I ever had a card like that. However, if I could clarify, in 2015, I did receive by e-mail an AEP application form partially filled out,” Baldwin told the DOLE special panel.

His lawyers argued that Baldwin was exempt from securing an AEP due to his permanent resident visa and Alien Certificate of Registration.

The panel, however, emphasized that permanent residency alone does not automatically exempt foreign nationals from employment documentation requirements.

“He will not be considered compliant with the requirements of the law and regulations,” DOLE officer-in-charge Gerard Mosquera said, noting possible sanctions for failing to apply for an exemption.

About the hearing 

The clarificatory hearing was held on June 29, after Baldwin was summoned by the labor department in connection with the deaths of Ateneo players Rene Clert Baterbonia and Divine Adili who drowned during a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora.

Authorities said the two were swept away by strong currents while participating in water exercises, though the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group later ruled the incident “not an accident,” citing possible hazing and negligence.

The case has raised broader questions about how foreign coaches and professionals are monitored under Philippine labor regulations.

Next steps

Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino stated that Ateneo officials will be summoned on July 9 to continue the clarificatory hearing.

The university is expected to explain how Baldwin’s lack of an AEP went unnoticed for more than a decade.

The outcome of the hearing may set a precedent for how DOLE enforces employment documentation among foreign nationals with permanent residency.