MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles Kieffer Alas on Thursday showed up at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) headquarters in Camp Crame to participate in the ongoing fact-finding probe into the deaths of fellow student athletes Rene Clert Baterbonia and Divine Adili on June 8.
Alas was with Baterbonia, Adilia and the rest of the Blue Eagles in the team building in Dipaculao, Aurora that ended in a tragedy.
Eight ADMU players were seen entering the CIDG, Alas included, around 9 a.m. on Thursday yet no one faced the media or gave a statement.
Alas, together with teammate Sam Reyes broke their silence in a podcast interview with broadcast journalist Pia Hontiveros where they flatly denied that the activity was an initiation rite contrary to the findings of the CIDG that circumstances are leaning towards a possible hazing or homicide case.
On Wednesday however, CIDG director Police Maj. Gen. Robert Morico II still maintained that denial of the players as well as the coaches does not automatically mean the homicide angle will be dropped.
In a chance interview, Morico said their investigators have yet to release an update regarding the investigation.
Morico also said the CIDG has now subpoenaed 48 individuals mostly players, coaching staff and university executives to participate in the fact-finding probe into the deaths of Baterbonia and Adili.
Earlier this week, past ADMU student athletes were also invited to shed light on their true experiences in the team-building activity headed by embattled now former Blue Eagles Head Coach Thomas Anthony “Tab” Baldwin” in the same resort in Dipaculao.
Past podcasts of some of the former players have resurfaced where they described the activity not as a team-building but as a “boot camp.”
