By Brian Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has called for a prompt investigation into the deaths of two student-athletes of the Ateneo de Manila University’s (AdMU) men’s basketball team to determine the facts behind the incident, Malacañang said Thursday.
In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro extended its condolences to the families of 19-year-old Rene Baterbonia and 21-year-old Divine Adili, who reportedly drowned during a team building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora on June 8.
“Unang-una po, of course, nakikiramay po tayo sa pangyayaring ito at ang nais din po ng Pangulo, hindi lamang po sa sitwasyon na ganito pero sa lahat po ng mga Pilipino na napupunta sa ganitong klaseng sitwasyon ay dapat pong agaran ang pag-iimbestiga,” Castro said.
Regarding rumors circulating online alleging that there was hazing involved in the training, Castro asked the public not to speculate on unverified reports and let the authorities investigate the incident.
“Kailangan po talaga ng agarang pag-iimbestiga rito dahil hindi po naging maganda ang naging resulta ng sinasabing training. Of course, hindi po natin kailangang i-preempt or mag-prejudge dito, so kailangan po talaga ng agarang imbestigasyon,” she said.
According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), Baterbonia’s cause of death was asphyxia by drowning based on a post-mortem examination certificate.
The PNP said statements obtained from the resort lifeguard and personnel of the Dipaculao Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) indicated that no weights were found attached to the bodies.
Aside from the PNP, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has also been tasked to create a task force to investigate “all angles of these deaths, including the question of whether foul play is indeed absent.”
The NBI will also determine whether the deaths resulted from negligence in the conduct of the team building activity.
“Among the angles now under examination is whether that standard was met: whether the hazards of the location and the condition of the sea were properly assessed, whether adequate safeguards and supervision were in place, and whether the chain of events that claimed these two lives reflects a breach of the duty owed to those entrusted to the institution’s care,” the NBI said in a statement.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED), meanwhile, launched a fact-finding review to determine all circumstances surrounding the deaths of the student-athletes.
CHED said its regional office in Metro Manila immediately mandated Ateneo on June 9 to submit a comprehensive incident report and also set a meeting with the university’s officials.
During a meeting with CHED-NCR, AdMU presented its immediate institutional response.
CHED has already established the framework for administrative review and directed the submission of additional documents from ADMU to finalize its assessment.
“This tragic incident demands a thorough, impartial, and immediate examination of all circumstances surrounding the deaths of these students,” the commission said in a statement.
A sports stakeholders’ panel, convened by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), also pushed for urgent governance reforms to protect the safety and well-being of every Filipino athlete.
The panel likewise agreed to support the proposed Sports Coaching Act, which would establish a national registry and mandate licensing and certification for coaches and sports professionals.
The panel will also establish robust safety standards, risk management protocols, and emergency response capabilities across all levels of sport, including standardizing safety protocols on the conduct of athlete training programs.
The PSC in partnership with other government agencies will also provide P250,000 to families of the two fallen student-athletes. (with report from Ryan Lesigues and Gab Humilde Villegas / PTV News)
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