Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday said the family of Ateneo basketball recruit Rene Baterbonia should consider pursuing legal remedies following the teenager's death during a team-building activity in Aurora, describing the incident as potentially “actionable” under the law.
During an ambush interview, Duterte said public pressure continues to build for a full accounting of the circumstances that led to the deaths of Baterbonia and fellow Ateneo student-athlete Divine Adili during a team building activity in Dipaculao town on 8 June.
“As a lawyer, actionable 'yung nangyari para sa akin,” Duterte told reporters after Independence Day activities in Davao City.
The Vice President stopped short of assigning blame but said the family should eventually consult legal counsel to determine whether accountability can be pursued through the courts.
“Pagkatapos ng lahat ng kanilang kailangan 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,” she said.
Baterbonia, 19, was one of the most promising young basketball players to emerge from Mindanao and was expected to bolster Ateneo's rebuilding campaign in the UAAP. Adili, a 21-year-old Nigerian student-athlete, was also a member of the Blue Eagles program.
Authorities said the two players drowned after being swept away by strong currents during a team-building activity. Investigators have since launched separate inquiries into the incident, with the Department of Justice directing the National Bureau of Investigation to determine whether criminal negligence or other liabilities may have contributed to the tragedy.
Duterte also questioned Ateneo's handling of the aftermath, saying the university should have provided more immediate support and communication to the grieving families.
“Pakiramdam ko kulang na kulang iyong response ng Ateneo sa nangyari,” she said.
“Hindi lang kay Rene, doon din sa isang foreigner na player din ng Ateneo na namatay. Dapat kasi sa mga ganyang panahon ay nauuna 'yung pag-reach out nila sa pamilya at pagpapaintindi sa pamilya kung ano 'yung nangyari.”
The Vice President said the deaths were not ordinary incidents and warranted a higher level of institutional accountability.
“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.
The tragedy has shocked the collegiate sports community, with athletes, coaches and alumni demanding answers about the planning and supervision of the activity.
Ateneo has said it is cooperating fully with authorities and providing assistance to the families of the victims while an internal review is being conducted.
Duterte, a fellow Davao native of Baterbonia, said she hopes to personally pay her respects to the family once funeral arrangements are finalized.
“Titingnan namin kung saan pwede. Saan kami pwede makiramay sa kanyang pamilya,” she said.
For Baterbonia's family, however, the search for answers may only be beginning as multiple investigations seek to determine whether the deaths were a tragic accident or the result of lapses that could have been prevented.
