House probe on Ateneo basketball players' deaths sought

A congressional investigation on the deaths of two Ateneo basketball players who drowned during a team building in Aurora Province has been proposed in the House of Representatives.

In a Resolution filed on Wednesday, Pinoy Workers party-list Rep. Karl Legazpi said the deaths of the 19-year-old Rene Clert Baterbonia and 21-year-old Divine Adili raise the question of if the team has implemented sufficient safety protocols, supervision, emergency preparedness, and risk management measures during school-sponsored athletic activities.

“Educational institutions, athletic organizations, coaches, trainers, and other persons entrusted with the supervision of student-athletes bear the responsibility of ensuring that training activities are conducted in a safe and responsible manner,” the Resolution read.

Police Colonel Percival Pineda, Acting Provincial Director of the Aurora Police Provincial Office, earlier said that Baterbonia and Adili, alongside their teammates and coaches, were doing exercises in waist-deep waters when huge waves suddenly engulfed the team, with the waves so strong that Baterbonia and Adili drowned.

PNP Aurora called the drowning incident "purely accident."

"So base po sa ating nakuhang salaysay sa mga kasama niya, ito pong insidente na ito ay talaga pong purely accident. Natural accident po 'yung pangyayari. Hindi po talaga inaasahan," said Pineda.

(Based on the account of the people they were with that we spoke to, they had an activity where the players were walking on the beach, with the water up to their thighs. And suddenly they found themselves in the deep part.)

Baterbonia's mother, however, asked why her son was out at sea with weights on his hands and feet, and at one point said she believed there was foul play as the young basketball player also had bruises on parts of his body.

“Ang dami nila dun tapos walang nag-rescue. ‘Yung anak ko, ba’t nila pinapalangoy nang may 20 kilos na bigat?” Rovelyn Baterbonia asked.

(There were so many of them there and no one came to rescue them. Why did they make my son swim with a 20-kilo weight?)

The House resolution is seeking answers about the tragedy.

“The incident highlights the need to examine whether existing laws, regulations, institutional policies, and industry practices provide sufficient safeguards for student-athletes participating in athletic camps, team-building exercises, outdoor activities, and other programs that may expose participants to elevated risks,” the Resolution said.

“Now, therefore, be it resolved as it is hereby resolved, that the House Committee on Youth and Sports Development conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the adequacy of existing policies, safety standards, and accountability mechanisms governing school-sponsored athletic programs, with the end in view of strengthening the protection and welfare of student athletes,” the Resolution added.

Adili is on his second playing year for the Ateneo Blue Eagles, while Baterbonia is a rookie and a former Most Valuable Player of the Palarong Pambansa from Ateneo de Davao. As such, Baterbonia is yet to suit up for the Blue Eagles in the Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines. —VAL, GMA News