Ateneo, ex-coach Tab Baldwin fined P4.9 million over work permit violations

EMBATTLED. Former Ateneo men’s basketball coach Tab Baldwin attends the Department of Labor and Employment's clarificatory hearing on the validity of his Alien Employment Permit on June 29, 2026. The hearing, led by Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino, is part of the department’s review of Baldwin’s employment documents. Rappler DOLE's decision to fine Ateneo and Tab Baldwin comes shortly after the university insisted that the former men's basketball coach was a consultant, not an employee MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) slapped the Ateneo de Manila University and its former men’s basketball coach Thomas Anthony “Tab” Baldwin with a P4.9 million administrative fine on Tuesday, August 11. Baldwin was found to have been working for the university from December 1, 2015 to September 28, 2016 without a valid Alien Employment Permit (AEP). An AEP, issued by DOLE, allows foreign nationals to legally work in the Philippines so long as it is proven that there are no Filipino citizens able or willing to perform the same services. The ex-coach — a dual citizen of the US and New Zealand — was then ordered to pay a P10,000 fine to cover the one-year period that he worked without a valid AEP. Ateneo was asked to pay the same fine of P10,000 for having Baldwin render his services without the AEP. The DOLE also held Baldwin liable for failing to secure a Certificate of Exemption, which is given to foreign nationals to signify that they can work in the Philippines without having to obtain an AEP. Baldwin’s continued work without this legal document counts as noncompliance. Each day of violation constitutes a fine of P10,000. This means that Baldwin would have to pay an administrative fine of P4.9 million to account for each of the 490 days he worked in the Philippines without the necessary permits from February 10, 2025, until his eventual resignation on June 15, 2026. According to DOLE, the Ateneo administration was held “jointly and solidarily liable” with the 68-year-old basketball coach to settle the P4.9 million fine. The counsels of both parties will explore any legal remedies under applicable laws. Baldwin and Ateneo have been the subject of public scrutiny since June after a tragic team building incident in Dipaculao, Aurora led to the deaths of players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili. DOLE’s move to fine Ateneo and Baldwin comes just a month after the university told the government agency that Baldwin was not an employee, but a consultant. Lawyer Jose Feliciano — who helped Baldwin obtain his quota immigrant visa and an alien certificate of registration (ACR) from the Bureau of Immigration — said he did not see the need for Baldwin to apply for an AEP as he is already a resident alien. Feliciano argued that under Article 40 of the Labor Code, resident aliens are exempted from acquiring AEPs. Still, Baldwin failed to obtain his Certificate of Exemption before continuing his work as a basketball coach in the Philippines. As of 2025, foreign individuals who can apply for the Certificate of Exemption must fall into these categories: Refugees and stateless persons recognized by the Department of Justice Those who come to the Philippines to teach, present, or conduct research studies in universities and colleges as visiting, exchange, or adjunct professors under formal agreements between the universities and colleges in the Philippines and the foreign ones, or between the Philippine government and foreign government Permanent resident foreign nationals and probationary or temporary resident visa holders Officers or any employees working in the Embassy by reason of extra-territoriality principle Accredited officials and personnel (and their dependent spouses) from international organizations that the Philippine government has an established agreement with Officers or staff of peacekeeping or international organizations deployed in the Philippines or by NGOs that have been accredited or endorsed by related government agencies Beyond issues related to Baldwin’s employment and his handling of the men’s basketball team, his estranged wife Efi also accused Ateneo of ignoring her repeated pleas to keep the coach away from children as they are “not safe around him.” The UAAP has since “perpetually banned” Baldwin and has moved to allow the Ateneo Blue Eagles to compete in season 89 of the premier collegiate sports league. – Rappler.com How does this make you feel? Loading