PNP Dipaculao: No weights used in team-building of Ateneo's Baterbonia, Adili

There were no weights attached to the bodies of Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) student-athletes Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili when they drowned during a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora on Monday, June 8.

This was according to the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Dipaculao as quoted in Mariz Umali’s report in “State of the Nation” on Tuesday.

Rovelyn Baterbonia, mother of Rene, said she wants justice for her son.

“Bakit nila pinapalangoy ‘yung anak ko na may 20 kilos ‘yung bigat. Alam naman nila na mabigat yung nilagay nila sa paa at sa kamay, tapos pinaano pa nila sa dagat,” Rovelyn said.

(Why did they let him carry 20 kilograms of weight? They knew what they attached to the feet and hands was heavy, but they still made them go into the ocean.)

Earlier, the PNP Aurora Provincial Office said there were no findings of foul play in the tragic death of 19-year-old Baterbonia and foreign student athlete Adili.

They called the drowning of the two young basketball players as “purely accident.”

“Meron po silang some sort of training o walking doon sa mababaw na portion ng dagat sa harap ng resort. At accidentally po, napunta sila sa biglang malalim na lugar, and ‘yun na nga po, tinangay na sila ng agos papunta po sa mas malaim na pusod ng dagat,” said Aurora PPO director Police Colonel Percival Pineda.

(They had some sort of training or walking at the shallow portion of the beach in front of the resort. Accidentally, then stepped into a deep portion and they were dragged by the waves into deeper water.)

Ateneo said Baterbonia and Adili’s remains were transferred to a memorial chapel in Quezon City.

The Baterbonia family has requested an autopsy, with Ateneo coordinating with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to facilitate the process.

Ateneo is also assisting Adili’s family in bringing home his remains to Nigeria. The university has also assured support for both families, their teammates, and other members of the Ateneo community affected by the tragedy. — Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/JMA, GMA News