Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Former Ateneo standout Mike Nieto expressed grief over the deaths of Blue Eagles players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili but declined to comment on a past podcast interview that resurfaced online following the tragedy.

Nieto, now a member of TNT Tropang 5G, spoke briefly before Game 4 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals against Barangay Ginebra on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

‘I would like to offer my sympathies to the family and friends of Rene and Divine,’ Nieto told reporters.

Baterbonia and Adili died during a team activity in Aurora, an incident that remains under review by sports authorities and the UAAP.

Pressed by the Inquirer about his remarks from a previous appearance on the ‘Balyahan’ podcast that recently went viral on social media, Nieto declined further comment.

The former Ateneo forward was part of the Blue Eagles teams that won three consecutive UAAP championships from 2017 to 2019 under coach Tab Baldwin.

Baldwin had previously described trips to Aurora, particularly in Baler, as part of the program’s efforts to build team chemistry and prepare players for the rigors of the collegiate season.

Nieto was among several former Blue Eagles who shared experiences from those training camps in the podcast hosted by comedian GB Labrador and former PBA player Ranidel de Ocampo, now a member of TNT’s coaching staff.

Former Ateneo players Anton Asistio, Shaun Ildefonso and SJ Belangel also discussed aspects of the program during separate episodes.

Following the circulation of clips from the interview, former Ateneo player Shaggy Allmond urged the public not to take the comments out of context, saying the activities discussed were not intended as forms of initiation.

The deaths of Baterbonia and Adili have sparked widespread discussion within the Philippine sports community, with several organizations calling for reviews of athlete safety protocols and team activities.

The resort management and several local officials have also been subpoenaed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) in connection with the fatal drowning of two Ateneo de Manila University players.

In a press briefing in Camp Crame on Thursday, CIDG director Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II announced that their unit had subpoenaed all of the players present during the incident.

Asked whether all coaching staff were also subpoenaed, Morico answered, ‘Yes, including the resort, the local government, all of them are being investigated to find out the circumstances.’

‘Although there are several markers saying when not to swim, was there any effort coming from the local government to prevent, to scold the team considering the weather condition during the time?’ Morico explained.

Ateneo players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili drowned while participating in a supposed training activity at an area along the shore some 300 meters away from a beach resort in Dipaculao, Aurora last Monday afternoon, according to the provincial police.

This is a developing story.

Malacañang on Thursday expressed condolences to the bereaved families of student-athletes from Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City who died during a training at a beach in Aurora.

The Palace is calling for a prompt investigation into the matter.

Student-athletes Rene Clert Baterbonia and Divine Adili, who were members of the ADMU men’s basketball team, were participating in a training activity at a beach resort in Dipaculao town on Monday afternoon when they were allegedly swept away by strong currents, resulting in their deaths.

‘First of all, of course, we extend our condolences regarding this incident,’ said Palace Press Officer Claire Castro when asked for Malacañang’s order to investigation agencies.

‘The president also wants this-not only in situations like these, but for all Filipinos who find themselves in this kind of situation-there should be an immediate investigation,’ she said.

Castro declined to make any comment on the circulating rumors that the training activity was allegedly hazing.

‘There is really a need for an immediate investigation here because the result of the so-called training was not good,’ she noted.

‘Of course, we should not preempt or pre-judge this, so an immediate investigation is really necessary,’ she added.

The National Bureau of Investigation has formed a special task force to conduct a thorough investigation into the deaths of Baterbonia and Adili, including determining whether foul play can be ruled out.

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.’

EMBED:

‘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.

The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) is now inspecting the resort in Aurora where two student athletes from the Ateneo de Manila University reportedly died due to drowning, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said on Thursday.

‘Right now as I speak, the Dole Region 3 Provincial Office in Aurora is now inspecting the resort where the accident allegedly occurred,’ Tolentino said in a press conference.

Tolentino said that Dole officers will assess the safety signages and training of safety officers and lifeguards. He noted that all of these measures are mandated under the agency.

Tolentino then shared that he received information that the resort voluntarily closed, adding that the Dole officers also went to the resort to verify the information.

However, he said that he will not yet issue a work stoppage order to the resort.

‘It will now depend on the findings of our inspection,’ Tolentino added.

In the same press conference, he announced that he issued a subpoena against Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) men’s basketball team coach Tab Baldwin to appear before him on Monday.

He said that this is for Baldwin to present his proof of valid working permit as a foreign national in the country and for him to explain the incidents that happened on June 8 during the team building activity.

He then warned that failure to comply with the summons or if the Dole finds out that he is working without a valid alien employment permit (AEP) or if his AEP does not cover the full scope of his activities:

Cancellation of suspension of his AEP

Referral of results to the Bureau of Immigration for actions, including possible deportation proceedings

Assessment of administrative penalties against ADMU as his employing institution for failure to ensure the validity of his foreign working permits

Filing of appropriate charges for violating the Labor Code

A drowning incident during a team building in Aurora province on Monday claimed the lives of Blue Eagles basketball team members Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili. Acting Aurora provincial police director said that it was an accident and did not involve any foul play.

The number of reported deaths due to the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that rocked southern Mindanao on Monday climbed from 45 to 47, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

The NDRRMC situational report of the tremor’s effects, as of 8 a.m. on June 11, showed that 35 of the reported deaths were in the Soccsksargen region and 12 from the Davao Region.

‘These numbers are being validated and verified by the mass casualty cluster led by the Department of the Interior and Local Government,’ Office of Civil Defense deputy administrator Asst. Sec. Raffy Alejandro said in Filipino in an interview on DZRH Thursday morning.

‘It’s rather difficult to collate because of the lack of internet and the intermittent signals. We want our data to be accurate,’ he added.

Meanwhile, 688 persons have so far been reported injured, while 31 others remain missing, according to the NDRRMC.

It added that 75,324 families were affected by the earthquake in 291 barangays in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, Soccsksargen and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Meanwhile, 12,641 houses were reportedly damaged during the tremor, of which 2,289 were reported as ‘totally damaged,’ said the DRRMC.

He also detailed that the estimated damage to infrastructure, so far, is P666.5 million.

‘The infrastructure audit is ongoing to ensure that the structures still standing are safe to return to. We’re still collating the damaged structures,’ Alejandro pointed out.

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck 32 kilometers southwest of Maasim, Sarangani at 7:37 a.m. on Monday.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the area at an Aurora beach resort in which two Ateneo de Manila University basketball players died of drowning has been recovered, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Thursday.

‘The case is being handled through evidence-based and forensic procedures. Investigators are continuing to piece together the circumstances surrounding the incident,’ PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement.

‘CCTV footage from the area has already been recovered to help reconstruct the sequence of events,’ he noted. ‘We have been communicating with all parties concerned and coordinating with other investigating agencies in relation to this incident.’

Ateneo players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili were participating in their teambuilding activity at a beach resort in Dipaculao, Aurora on Monday afternoon when they were supposedly swept away by a current, the police said.

The two players were recovered from near the shoreline around 30 to 40 minutes later, Aurora police chief Col. Percival Pineda noted.

‘The unfortunate incident involving two college basketball players should not be a topic of online hate and debate. Let us show respect to the families, and trust the ongoing process of finding out what really happened,’ Nartatez said.

‘We urge our netizens to be responsible by refraining from speculations and sharing unverified stories and reports. Allow us to do our job and we assure of our commitment to finish the investigation in the soonest possible time,’ he added.

The PNP chief earlier ordered a more thorough investigation into the incident, vowing that there would be no cover-up in the probe.

Ateneo previously extended its condolences and support to Baterbonia and Adili’s families.

Baterbonia, 19, recently played in the Palarong Pambansa finals two weeks ago and committed to the Blue Eagles program.

Adili, 21, a Nigerian foreign student athlete, played in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament last year.

The Bago Negros Energy Corp. (BNEC) broke ground for the construction of the 150-megawatt (MW) wind power project, the first of its kind in Negros Island Region, in a ceremony held in Barangay Calumangan on Wednesday.

With a total initial project cost of P9.78 billion, the BNEC proposes to construct and operate 23 wind turbine generators (WTGs) aimed at strengthening power supply in the Visayas grid and supporting the national renewable energy roadmap.

‘We are not only witnessing the start of a structure, we are witnessing the beginning of a legacy. This project is a symbol of what we can achieve when vision meets collaboration,’ Mayor Marina Javellana-Yao said in her message.

‘When government, private sector and community come together not just for development, but for sustainable development,’ she noted.

Javellana-Yao and Vice Mayor Andrew Torres joined BNEC vice president Passakorn Panyaratanakorn, deputy country representative Li Hongjiang of PowerChina Philippines Corp., and Assistant Director Ruby de Guzman of the Department of Energy (DOE) Renewable Energy Management Bureau during the groundbreaking ceremony.

‘This is our first project in the Philippines. Right now, we have put our focus on the Philippine market. This is going to be our first, that’s why we would like it to be a hundred percent success,’ Panyaratanakorn said.

BNEC is backed by Thailand-based renewable energy developer Sermsang Power Corp. Public Co. Ltd., which lists the Bago City Wind Power Project as one of its projects on its official website.

‘You have diverse renewable energy resources. With this 150-MW wind power project, we are seeing that Bago City is now becoming the rising renewable energy hub in Negros Occidental,’ De Guzman said.

The construction of the 150-MW wind power project is expected to take about a year.

Based on the project’s executive summary, the DOE awarded the Bago City Wind Power Project a service contract area covering 5,265 hectares, which is designated to accommodate the core operational facilities of the wind power plant, substation, access road, support facilities and other supplementary areas.

The area spans seven barangays, including Sampinit, Taloc, Calumangan, Busay, Lag-asan, Balingasag, and Napoles, where the 23 WTGs will be constructed.

Barangay Napoles, where a substation will also be located, will host 10 WTGs; Busay, seven; Calumangan, three; and one each for Taloc, Sampinit and Lag-asan.

Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin on Wednesday became the latest public official to file cyberlibel charges against lawyer Levito Baligod and the 18 confessed former ‘bagmen’ of resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy ‘Zaldy’ Co over allegations linking her to supposed flood control kickbacks.

Garin lodged cyberlibel and perjury complaints before the Department of Justice (DOJ), three days after the group reiterated claims that they had delivered bags and suitcases of cash on behalf of Co to politicians and other personalities.

Speaking to reporters, Garin said the accusations appeared intended to ‘cripple me or prevent me from doing my task’ as a member of the House leadership. Garin is a deputy speaker.

‘Not one bag, envelope, or suitcase was given to me or any member of my family or office by Zaldy Co,’ she said.

Garin said she did not know any of the alleged bodyguards or drivers and maintained that her ‘conscience is clear.’

Growing list

Her complaint adds to a growing list of legal actions filed against Baligod and the 18 men, who first surfaced during a press conference at Club Filipino on Feb. 24, claiming they were ex-Marines and had served as Co’s bagmen in delivering cash allegedly sourced from anomalous flood control projects.

At least eight public figures have now filed cyberlibel or related complaints against the group.

On June 4, Iloilo City Rep. Julienne Baronda filed cyberlibel and perjury complaints after she was identified in the group’s affidavit as a supposed recipient of luggage containing cash.

Aside from Baligod, the other respondents in the complaints are Bernard Tube, Rosebert Waupan, Benny Bulontate, Johnny Buduan, Rodante Orbillo, Reyneboy Julian, Christopher Esquivel, George Villalon Jr., Romeo Rommel Bobares, Gil Navidad Jr., Anselmo Taberdo, Jowly Cadiao, Rommel Galapon, Cecilio Larroder Jr., Bernard Gumban, Crisaniel Dado, Fidel Corpu, and Walter Manalansan.

On June 9, Manila Rep. Bienvenido ‘Benny’ Abante Jr. filed libel and cyberlibel complaints, describing the allegations against him as ‘incorrect, baseless and misleading.’

On March 24, former Sen. Antonio ‘Sonny’ Trillanes IV filed cyberlibel complaints over claims that he received $2 million from Co to bribe investigators of the International Criminal Court.

Also in March, Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima, Fr. Flaviano ‘Flavie’ Villanueva, Bureau of Corrections Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr., and former National Security Adviser Eduardo Año likewise filed complaints against the group, Baligod and former congressman Mike Defensor.

Senate hearing

The controversy resurfaced last week when Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and his allies in the new minority convened the previous Senate blue ribbon committee and proceeded with a hearing where the 18 men repeated many of the allegations contained in an affidavit released in February.

Several lawmakers have since challenged the group’s claims.

Manila Rep. Joel Chua pointed to inconsistencies between the affidavit and the witnesses’ recent testimony, while former Palawan Rep. Jose Alvarez personally confronted the group at the Senate, denying that he had ever received cash-filled suitcases.

When asked why he was suddenly included in the list, Alvarez said it might be because of his refusal to endorse an impeachment complaint against President Marcos.

According to Alvarez, a certain Margarette, who claimed to represent Defensor, texted him and sent a copy of the complaint against Marcos.

A lawmaker has proposed placing all untitled lands utilized by public schools across the country under the permanent ownership of the Department of Education (DepEd), to protect schools from possible land disputes.

Parañaque Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan explained in a statement that his House Bill (HB) No. 9477, while not focused on the engineering aspects of constructing classrooms, will be of great help to DepEd’s programs because it provides a sense of security that the lands used cannot be claimed by other parties.

‘While not an engineering safeguard, our proposal to secure government ownership of land housing public schools would greatly contribute to the unhampered implementation of long-term safety measures for these structures, such as earthquake retrofitting, rehabilitation, and other improvements which often require clear legal rights over the land they stand on,’ Yamsuan said on Wednesday.

‘No amount of funding or accelerated construction of school buildings will resolve our perennial classroom backlog if the lands for public school sites remain open to dispute because of incomplete documentation and lack of legal property rights,’ he added.

Under the bill, all lands utilized by DepEd and public school sites will be registered under its name, including those used by the agency’s predecessors – the Bureau of Education, the Office of Education by the Government of the Philippines, the Ministry of Education, and the Department of Education, Culture and Sports.

‘For purposes of this Act, a ‘Public School Site’ refers to public schools utilized by DepEd or sites catering to the needs of DepEd which are necessary or vital to the performance of its mandate or functions,’ the bill stated.

‘These shall include areas and locations of DepEd offices, training facilities, teachers’ camp, or commercial spaces incidental to school operations deriving income for the benefit of the public,’ it added.

The bill states that if a land has been in ‘in open, continuous, exclusive, and notorious possession over the property for at least ten years,’ DepEd can submit an Affidavit of Claim to the Registry of Deeds containing the following documents:

mode of acquiring ownership over the property

the circumstances and/or proof of open, continuous, exclusive, and notoriouspossession over the property for ten (10) years

Proof of publication of the Notice of Ownership Claim in a newspaper of generalcirculation and notification to the registered owners or other interested persons

Proof of posting of the Notice of Ownership Claim for three consecutiveweeks in a conspicuous place located within the Public School Site, and in the Barangay Hall and City or Municipal Hall that have territorial jurisdiction over the Public School Sites

Yamsuan said this measure is important because it would remove one problem from DepEd’s shoulders.

‘We need clean land titles to ensure that DepEd does not encounter problems in constructing school buildings and the upgrading or expanding of facilities to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of quality education,’ he said.

‘The DepEd can’t do what needs to be done if it continues to be burdened with missing deeds, donated lots that lack proper legal documentation, overlapping claims, or decades-old usufruct agreements,’ he added.

Yamsuan was referring to DepEd’s huge classroom backlog, which requires the construction of 165,000 rooms.

Last February, Yamsuan also said that he has filed HB No. 7632 or the proposed Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act which seeks to give the private sector a bigger role in classroom construction, to address the country’s staggering backlog.

Under the measure, the DepEd will be allowed to delegate the construction of certain classrooms to local government units (LGUs) and civil society organizations (CSOs).

Yamsuan said that the country’s classroom shortage should be addressed soon because more classrooms – around 51,000 – may reach the end of their 50-year structural lifespan by 2028.

The bill is part of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) list of priority bills that was recently approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.