MANILA(June 11) — As authorities investigate the drowning deaths of two Ateneo basketball players during a team-building activity in Aurora, the mother of one victim says her focus remains on bringing her son home.
Rovelyn Baterbonia, mother of Ateneo prospect Rene Baterbonia, said she has not considered filing a case against the university amid the family’s grief.
“What I’m thinking of is how to bring home my son,” she told reporters during her son’s wake at Arlington Memorial Chapels in Quezon City.
The family is considering bringing Rene’s remains to either Agusan del Sur or Davao after the wake.
Baterbonia and fellow player Divine Adili drowned on June 8 after they were reportedly swept away by strong currents while participating in a team activity in Dipaculao, Aurora. Adili was a member of the Ateneo Blue Eagles squad in the most recent UAAP season.
The tragedy has prompted multiple investigations.
The Department of Justice has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to form a special task force to determine whether criminal liability may arise from the deaths. The NBI was directed to conduct a thorough and impartial inquiry and assess whether evidence warrants the filing of charges.
DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez said investigators would focus on establishing accountability, if any, stemming from the incident.
Police, however, said initial findings point to an accident. Aurora Provincial Police Director Col. Percival Pineda said the athletes were wading in waters off Barangay Lipit near Hermanos Leisure Farm and Surf Camp when they were caught by strong currents.
Authorities reported no indication of foul play.
Ateneo de Manila University confirmed the deaths on June 9 and said an autopsy would be conducted on Baterbonia’s remains at the request of his family. Arrangements are also underway to repatriate Adili’s remains to Nigeria.
The university has likewise arranged counseling and psychological processing sessions for members of the men’s basketball team as they cope with the loss.
As investigations continue, the deaths of the two young athletes have cast a shadow over the sports community, leaving grieving families seeking answers and mourning lives cut tragically short.
