Vice President Sara Duterte said that the response of Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) on the deaths of two student-athletes was lacking, citing how they should have first reached out to the family.
"So pakiramdam ko ay malaki ang pagkukulang ng paaralan sa pagbibigay support sa pamilya. Lalong-lalo na hindi ito ordinaryong pangyayari. Ito ay pagkamatay ng Isang estduyante (So, I feel that the school has a significant shortcoming in providing support to the family, especially since this is not an ordinary incident. This involves the death of a student)," she said during a media interview on June 12, at Rizal Park in Davao City.
She said that AdMU is lacking in its response to what happened not only to Rene Baterbonia but also to Andili, saying that the first thing that the institution should have done was reach out to the family and help them understand what happened and what needs to be done.
Duterte said that she is joining the call for justice and that, as a lawyer, what happened to the two athletes is actionable. However, she said that at this time, the family of Baterbonia is still grieving the death of their child.
She said that after the Baterbonias have laid their child to rest, they should think about how to obtain justice for their child, and seek legal opinion from an attorney.
The vice president also hopes that she can attend the wake of Baterbonia here in Davao City.
Meanwhile, the remains of Baterbonia have arrived in Davao City for the wake, which will be held at the Ateneo de Davao Senior High School-Bangkal Campus. There will be a public viewing from June 12 to June 14, 2026.
Earlier, two student-athletes, namely Rene Clert Baterbonia and Divine Andili, drowned during a Blue Eagles team activity at a beach resort in Dipaculao, Aurora, on June 8, 2026.
Following the deaths of the two student-athletes, Navotas Representative and AdMU alumnus Toby Tiangco filed a resolution in the House of Representatives to investigate the deaths of Baterbonia and Andili.
The resolution aims to examine the circumstances that surrounded the incidents, as well as the team-building activity in Aurora, to ensure stricter safety standards and prevent similar tragedies within the collegiate sports community.
The resolution is one of many calls from government officials for justice and for a rigorous review of safety protocols during school events. RGP
