Manila: The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) stated on Tuesday that the resignation of Tab Baldwin as head coach of the Ateneo Blue Eagles basketball team would not impact the ongoing investigation into his compliance with the Alien Employment Permit (AEP) requirement. The focus of the investigation remains on the events that took place on June 8 and the employer-employee relationship that was in effect at that time, rather than Baldwin's current status post-resignation.

According to Philippines News Agency, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino emphasized that the inquiry is centered on the incident from June 8, highlighting the scrutiny of the employee-employer relationship during the said incident. "We're looking at an incident that transpired June 8th. We're not looking at the prospective itself, of the resignation. [We are looking at] the employee-employer relationship, which existed during the tragic incident, would have to be scrutinized," Tolentino stated.

On Monday, Baldwin, the former Ateneo men's basketball coach, was represented by a legal counsel at the initial hearing following the subpoena issued by DOLE. Baldwin was unable to attend the hearing due to health and mental stress concerns but has been asked to submit his verified response by June 25.

A formal hearing is scheduled for June 29, where documents will be presented and further clarifying questions will be addressed. Tolentino expressed expectations for Baldwin's attendance at these proceedings.

Tolentino explained that an Alien Certificate of Registration permits a foreign national to reside in the Philippines, while an AEP allows them to work. He reiterated that DOLE will verify Baldwin's AEP status while maintaining due process, noting that Ateneo could be held accountable as the employer if violations are discovered.