Sara Duterte backs probe into deaths of Ateneo's Baterbonia, Adili

Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday lamented the deaths of student-athletes Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili during a team-building activity, saying there seemed to be a lack of response on the part of the Ateneo de Manila University.

In an interview in Davao City, Duterte said she is joining the call for justice for the deaths of the two young basketball players, considering that the drowning incident was “actionable.”

“Unang-una, nakakalungkot na gano’n ‘yung nangyari sa isang estudyante, at sa isang promising na athlete natin sa bansa. Pakiramdam ko kulang na kulang ‘yung response ng Ateneo sa nangyari. Hindi lang kay Rene ‘no, doon din sa isang foreigner na player din ng Ateneo na namatay,” she said.

(First of all, what happened to a promising athlete in our country was saddening. I feel that Ateneo's response to what happened was inadequate. Not only to Rene, but also to the foreign Ateneo player who died.)

“Dapat kasi sa mga ganyan na mga panahon ay nauuna ‘yung pag-reach out nila sa pamilya at pagpapaintindi sa pamilya kung ano ‘yung nangyari at ano ‘yung mga kailangan nilang gawin, the family and the school,” she added.

(In times like this, the school should reach out to the family first and make the family understand what happened and what they need to do, the family and the school.)

Baterbonia and Adili were among the members of a team conducting a training activity at a beach resort in Aurora on Monday.

According to the police, the student-athletes were walking in seawater as part of their training at around 2:30 p.m. when they reportedly encountered strong waves and currents.

Search operations lasted around 30 to 40 minutes before the victims were located.

The Aurora Provincial Police Office said the cause of death of Baterbonia was asphyxia by drowning based on a post-mortem examination certificate.

Duterte, a lawyer and former Education secretary, said that the incident was “not ordinary.”

“Pakiramdam ko ay malaki ang pagkukulang ng paaralan sa pagbigay support sa pamilya. Lalong lalo na hindi ito ordinaryong pangyayari. Ito ay pagkamatay ng isang estudyante,” she said.

(I feel that the school is really lacking in providing support to the family. Especially since this is not an ordinary event because students died.)

“As a lawyer, actionable ‘yung nangyari para sa akin (what happened was actionable),” she stressed.

She also advised the family of the victims to pursue legal remedies following the burial.

“Pagkatapos ng lahat ng kanilang kailangang gawin para sa burol at pagpapalibing ng kanilang anak, ay umupo sila at mag-isip kung ano ‘yung dapat na gawin nila para magbigyan ng hustisya ‘yung kanilang anak… Gawin nila legally at mag-consulta ng abogado,” Duterte added.

(After burying the bodies, the family members should sit down and think about what they should do to give justice to the children... They should do it legally and consult a lawyer.)

GMA News Online reached out to ADMU for comment and will publish it once available.

On Thursday, ADMU shed light on the perceived silence of Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin, saying that the university advised him to “refrain from making public statements” while “official processes” are ongoing. —AOL, GMA News