The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) continued its clarificatory hearing on Thursday, July 9, 2026, regarding the employment status of former Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin, but Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) president Fr. Roberto Yap was notably absent.
Yap Requests Rescheduling
Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino revealed in a post-hearing interview that Yap had requested a resetting of the hearing due to prior commitments. Yap wrote to DOLE indicating his availability on July 14 or 15, but Tolentino declined to extend the schedule further. “He wrote stating he was available on the 14th or 15th. We can’t extend the schedule anymore. It has already taken too long. His lawyer is here, anyways,” Tolentino said.
Ateneo's Position on Baldwin's Status
During the hearing, Ateneo maintained that Baldwin was engaged under a consultancy agreement, asserting that no employer-employee relationship existed because the university did not exercise control over Baldwin's coaching functions. Lawyer Jose Feliciano, who testified as a witness, stated that he assisted Baldwin in securing an immigrant visa at Ateneo's request. Feliciano noted that resident aliens are exempt from obtaining an Alien Employment Permit (AEP) under Article 40 of the Labor Code.
DOLE's Stance on Permit Requirements
Tolentino countered that resident aliens holding an Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) are still required to secure an AEP. He indicated that DOLE aims to issue a decision within the month. “All parties will be submitting their memorandum seven days from now,” Tolentino said. “Probably, before the end of the month, barring any untoward incident or someone will still want to testify, we will come up with a ruling on this,” he added.
Assurance of Fair Process
The labor chief assured that the decision on Baldwin's case will be based on existing policies and laws. “We will be very judicious and fair as to whether Coach Tab Baldwin violated or disregarded existing laws, rules, and regulations of the DOLE,” Tolentino stated.
The initial clarificatory hearing was held last June 29, with Baldwin personally appearing in the proceedings.
