Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday expressed sadness over the deaths of student-athletes Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili during a team-building activity in Aurora province, saying there appeared to be a significant lack of response from Ateneo de Manila University following the tragedy.
"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," Duterte said during an interview after attending the 128th Independence Day celebration in Davao City.
The Vice President said the university should have prioritized reaching out to the families of the victims and helping them understand the circumstances surrounding the incident.
"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.
Duterte also pointed to what she described as the school's failure to provide sufficient support to the bereaved families.
"Pakiramdam ko ay malaki ang pagkukulang ng paaralan sa pagbigay [ng] support sa pamilya. Lalong-lalo na hindi ito ordinaryong pangyayari. Ito ay pagkamatay ng isang estudyante," she said.
The Vice President, who is a lawyer and former Education secretary, also joined calls for justice for the two student-athletes, saying the drowning incident was "actionable."
"As a lawyer, actionable talaga ‘yung nangyari. Hindi ko na lang gatungan ‘yung pamilya kasi alam mo, mahirap ‘yung pinagdadaanan nila ngayon," Duterte said.
She encouraged the families to consult legal counsel and carefully consider their legal options after completing the wake and burial of their loved ones.
"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 and Adili drowned during a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora. According to witness accounts, the incident occurred at around 2:40 p.m. during an activity attended by approximately 20 participants.
Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has created a special task force to conduct a deeper inquiry into the incident. The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the local government of Dipaculao are also expected to undertake separate investigations.
Earlier, Aurora provincial authorities said initial findings showed no indication of foul play and described the incident as a "purely accidental" drowning.
Authorities also said a post-mortem examination certificate identified asphyxia by drowning as the cause of Baterbonia's death.
