The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) on Monday announced the creation of a sports stakeholders' panel following the deaths of Ateneo student-athletes Divine Adili and Rene Clert Baterbonia during a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora.
The PSC said the panel will support the efforts of the Philippine National Police and the Department of Justice in establishing a "clear, accurate and comprehensive understanding" of the incident.
The multi-stakeholder body will include representatives from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, the Commission on Higher Education and the National Youth Commission.
Beyond fact-finding, the panel will review existing policies, protocols and training practices to strengthen safeguards in athletic training environments.
“The goal is not only to understand what happened, but to ensure that lessons learned lead to safer, more responsive systems that protect athletes while sustaining high-performance sport,” the PSC said.
The commission also expressed solidarity with the families and loved ones of the two athletes.
Ateneo said details regarding the wake and funeral arrangements for Adili and Baterbonia will be announced once finalized with their families.
