Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) faculty members issued an open letter on Thursday to university president Fr. Roberto Yap, SJ urged ‘greater clarity and transparency’ following the drowning of student-athletes Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili.
‘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,’ they said.
The letter, which was signed by more than a hundred educators from the institution, conveyed sorrow over the incident while also seeking ‘sincere and humane expressions of apology, empathy, and compassion from the University leaders and coaching staff.’
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‘The nameless, faceless, and sterile official social media posts have downplayed the gravity of the situation and the accountability of the university,’ they said.
‘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,’ they added.
In the letter, faculty members raised questions on due process, safety protocols, the university’s response and support for affected families, the nature of the officials’ leave, the conduct of an ‘independent and impartial investigation,’ and the accountability measures in place to prevent similar incidents.
‘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,’ they said.
Earlier, ADMU’s Board of Trustees ordered an independent fact-finding investigation to ensure an impartial, thorough and careful review of the circumstances surrounding the drowning incident.
Ateneo also said Blue Eagles head coach Thomas Anthony ‘Tab’ Baldwin and team manager Christopher ‘Epok’ Quimpo have taken leave for the duration of the inquiry.
Ateneo also clarified that it had asked Baldwin to refrain from making public statements so that official processes could proceed and the facts could be properly established before any public discussion of the matter.