Ateneo athlete Rene Baterbonia's remains flown to Davao
The remains of Rene Baterbonia, the 19-year-old Ateneo de Manila University men's basketball rookie who passed away in a drowning incident, arrived in Davao City early Friday, June 12.
Following a final mass at the Arlington Memorial Chapels in Quezon City, a TV5 report cited information from Baterbonia's relatives that the athlete's remains would be flown to Davao around midnight, accompanied by his family.
At around 2:43 a.m. on Friday, the private plane that carried Baterbonia's body from Manila landed at the Davao International Airport, per a report from GMA Regional TV. His remains were then brought to the Ateneo de Davao University campus, of which Baterbonia was a senior high school alumnus.
On Friday, June 12, public viewing will be from 1–5 p.m. For Saturday, June 13, and Sunday, June 14, the public can pay their respects from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. There will be a daily Holy Mass for the duration of Baterbonia's wake at AdDU at 6 p.m.
Per AdDU, visitors must present a valid ID. The university also reminds the public to refrain from bringing plastics inside the campus.
According to TV5, Ateneo de Manila University shouldered the cost of transporting Baterbonia's body to Davao.
After the public viewing at AdDU, Baterbonia's body would be flown to his hometown of Agusan del Sur, where his family has said he would be put to final rest.
During Baterbonia's wake in Quezon City, his Ateneo Blue Eagles men's basketball teammates paid their respects, as well as a few prominent personalities, including Sen. Bam Aquino, a fellow Atenean.
On June 8 at a resort in Dipaculao, Aurora, Baterbonia and his teammate Nigerian Divine Adili, 21, lost their lives after being swept into a rip current while undergoing a team-building activity with the rest of their team.
Aurora police cited witness statements that claimed two other athletes were caught in the current, but both managed to reach the shore safely.
Multiple agencies have launched parallel investigations into the incident, including the Dipaculao local government, Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Philippine Sports Commission. Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment has issued a subpoena against Baldwin, an American-New Zealander, over his employment status as a foreigner. He is also on leave amid the probe.
