MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) held a meeting with the Ateneo de Manila University officials after the death of two of its athletes during an off-season team building activity in Aurora Province.
In a statement issued on Wednesday night, CHEd said that it mourned the deaths of Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili and condoled with their families, loved ones, teammates, and the entire Ateneo community.
It added that the tragic incident demanded a thorough, impartial, and immediate examination of all circumstances surrounding the deaths of these students.
"In the exercise of its mandate to oversee higher education institutions and protect student welfare, CHEd immediately initiated fact-finding and accountability measures and required the submission of information and explanations necessary to determine responsibility and institutional compliance with applicable policies and standards," the commission added.
Based on the report submitted to CHEd by ADMU's crisis management team, the incident occurred during an off-season team-building and training camp involving twenty-four student-athletes and seven adult supervisors composed of coaches and staff members of the ADMU Men's Basketball Team.
During the meeting, ADMU also presented its institutional response while the CHEd has established its framework for administrative review and directed the submission of additional documents and information necessary for a complete assessment of the incident.
Aside from its own investigation, CHEd is also participating in the Sports Stakeholders' Panel organized by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
"This joint effort aims to ensure a comprehensive review of policies and practices governing athletic training, team activities, and student-athlete welfare," CHEd said.
