MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo de Manila men's volleyball head coach and University Athletics Office facilities officer Vince Mangulabnan is no longer recommended to face criminal liability in connection with Ateneo men's basketball team's team-building activity that led to the deaths of players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili in Dipaculao, Aurora last month.
In the summary of charges and administrative liabilities related to the deaths of Baterbonia and Adili which the National Bureau of Investigation posted on Facebook on Monday, Mangulabnan is no longer in the list recommended to face criminal charges.
Mangulabnan was initially included in the Philippine National Police's supplemental referral recommending homicide-related charges for allegedly having facilitated the chartered bus used by the Ateneo men's basketball team for its Aurora trip.
As a whole, the Ateneo's University Athletics Office led by director Emmanuel "Em" Fernandez allegedly planned, organized, and executed the said team-building activity.
Through spokesperson Fr. RB Hizon, SJ, Ateneo disputed this and said that while its athletics office provides administrative and logistical support to varsity teams, the men’s basketball office independently runs its operations including the Aurora team-building activity.
"The Referral itself cites, as the basis for implicating the UAO, that the chartered bus used by the team was facilitated by Vince Mangulabnan, a member of the UAO staff,” said Fr. Hizon.
“Standing alone, the administrative facilitation of transportation does not establish that the UAO planned, organized, or directed the activity itself.”
Fernandez, however, stayed on the list, recommended to face simple negligence resulting in two counts of homicide.
NBI wrote that Fernandez carried the institutional, non-delegable duty to promulgate and enforce athlete-safety protocols (CHED MO 63 s.2017; MO 13 s.2026)"; adding that "his own negative certification shows no protocol, approved calendar, medical clearance, or consent existed - a want of ordinary care contributing to the deaths."
Other than Fernandez, Hermanos Resort Operating Manager Francisco Zubia III y Barangan, and resort Co-Managers Frederick Zubia y Barangan, Yedda Mary Rubio were also recommended to face simple negligence.
Still at the forefront of the recommended criminal charges is resigned Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin, who may face reckless imprudence resulting in two counts of homicide for allegedly "conceiving, planning, and directing the sea drill; choosing the open, surf-exposed site; knowing a player could not swim yet provided only a verbal rip-current warning - no life vests, lifeguard, or medical/rescue standby - foreseeable peril met with grossly deficient precaution; proximate cause of both deaths."
Likewise recommended to be chaged with reckless imprudence were strength and conditioning coaches Ceasar Vincent Elumba and Grant Dearns and assistant coaches Reynaldo Jacinto, Dean Caesar Castano, Sandro Nicholas Soriano, Herman Ameer Domingo, as well as physical therapist John Eric Rueca.
