THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) announced on Tuesday the creation of a multi-stakeholder body to look into the drowning of two young Ateneo de Manila basketball players as Aurora police was quick to dismiss the tragic incident as an accident.
PSC chairman Patrick ‘Pató’ Gregorio said that the body will be composed of representatives from the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas, University Athletic Association of the Philippines, Commission on Higher Education and the National Youth Commission.
They will meet at the PSC offices at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
‘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,’ Gregorio said.
Gregorio said that the panel will ‘examine existing policies, protocols and training practices toward resolutions to strengthen safeguards in athletic training environments.’
‘Excellence in sport requires environments that push human potential, but never at the expense of safety,’ he added.
Rene Baterbonia, 19, of Agusan del Sur, and Divine Adili, 21, of Nigeria, drowned during the Ateneo Blue Eagles’ training camp activities off Dipaculao beach in Aurora province.
Reports say the training camp under head coach Tab Baldwin resembles a military boot camp-as recalled by former Ateneo de Manila players in various social media posts.
Aurora Provincial Police Office Chief Col. Percival Pineda told a press conference on Tuesday that the incident was ‘purely an accident and no foul play happened.’
‘This incident was purely accident. It was a natural accident, and it was not expected. As of now, we do not see any foul play in this accident,’ Pineda said. ‘We are saddened about the tragedy occurred in our province. We extend condolences to the family, friends, and associates of the players.’
Members of the Ateneo coaching staff didn’t answer calls or messages from the BusinessMirror.
Baterbonia, a 6-foot-4 forward, was the 2025 Palarong Pambansa’s Most Valuable Player in Laoag City playing for champion Davao Region and also collected various individual awards in the ASEAN School Games in Brunei and NBTC finals.
The 6-foot-10 Adili is considered a prize catch for the Blue Eagles in UAAP Season 88.
In a joint statement from the House of Representatives, Deputy Speakers Paolo Ortega V and Jefferson Khonghun and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the incident warrants a full congressional inquiry to determine possible lapses in safety protocols, supervision and emergency preparedness.
While expressing condolences to the bereaved families and the Ateneo community, the lawmakers said that accountability and fact-finding must take priority to ensure justice and prevent similar tragedies.
‘We mourn the untimely loss of these two promising young athletes whose lives were cut short while participating in what should have been a safe and enriching activity,’ they said in the statement.
They said they will file a House resolution seeking a congressional investigation to examine the circumstances surrounding the drowning, including risk assessment procedures and compliance with safety standards for school and sports-related activities.