Faculty members of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) have called on university leadership to provide clearer explanations and fuller accountability following the drowning of student-athletes Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili during a team-building activity in Aurora.
In an open letter addressed to university president Fr. Roberto Yap, SJ, more than a hundred faculty members stressed the need for openness and institutional responsibility in the wake of the incident, which has drawn widespread concern from the academic community and the public.
“As the institution responsible for the safety of our students, we are accountable. The families, the Ateneo community, and the larger public have the right to know and hear Ateneo de Manila’s institutional voice,” the faculty members said.
The signatories expressed grief over the deaths but also raised concerns over how the university has communicated with the public, urging leadership and coaching staff to show stronger expressions of empathy and responsibility.
“The nameless, faceless, and sterile official social media posts have downplayed the gravity of the situation and the accountability of the university,” they said.
They also called on university officials and team personnel to directly acknowledge possible lapses in judgment, communication, and safety protocols, and to engage with affected families in a more personal and compassionate manner.
“We appeal for the university administration and coaching staff to come forward—in person—with humility and acknowledgment of wrongdoing and lapses in judgment, risk mitigation, communication, and most especially, care for our students,” the letter read.
Beyond calls for accountability, faculty members raised several questions on internal due process, emergency preparedness, student safety safeguards, and the scope and independence of the ongoing investigation.
They also sought clarity on support mechanisms for the families of the deceased and the measures being implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“The lives of Rene and Divine matter. We may never fully recover from this tragedy, but we can make their deaths count by providing meaningful and tangible support to the families they left behind and by embracing the painful lessons of this tragedy with collective humility, resolve and compassion,” the faculty said.
Earlier, the ADMU Board of Trustees ordered an independent fact-finding investigation into the incident to ensure a comprehensive and impartial review of the circumstances surrounding the drowning.
The university also placed Blue Eagles head coach Thomas Anthony “Tab” Baldwin and team manager Christopher “Epok” Quimpo on leave while the inquiry is ongoing, and clarified that Baldwin was instructed to refrain from public statements to allow official processes to proceed.
