Ateneo de Davao offers scholarships to 6 siblings of late player Rene Baterbonia
Ateneo de Davao University has offered scholarship assistance to the six siblings of Ateneo men's basketball player Rene Clert Baterbonia, who drowned during a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora.
The scholarship assistance was announced by University president Fr. Karel San Juan during a mass held in honor of the 19-year-old student-athlete, who was affectionately referred to as “Bobet.”
"Anim niyang kapatid ay bibigyan po ng Ateneo de Davao University ng scholarship," he said. "Handa rin pong tumulong ibang Ateneo tulad ng Xavier University sa Cagayan de Oro pero sabi po [ng mama ni Rene], dito na lang po sa Davao, mas malapit po sa Agusan."
San Juan shared how this was one of Baterbonia's dreams for his family.
"Tuloy po natin ang pagdarasal sa pamilya ni Bobet para ang pangarap ni Bobet sa kanyang pamilya ay matupad," he implored.
"Kahit na sobrang lungkot po natin, wala na po siya. Pero bubuhayin po natin si Bobet sa pamamagitan ng pangarap niya sa kanyang mga minamahal sa buhay," he added.
Baterbonia, as well as fellow player Divine Adili, died after they were carried away by a rip current while participating in a team-building activity with the rest of their teammates at a resort in Dipaculao.
Initial findings by the Aurora police have suggested the incident was purely accidental and ruled out foul play.
Multiple agencies have since 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.
After days of silence, Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin expressed his remorse in the incident via a video statement, stressing that he's also feeling the magnitude of their loss.
"I felt I had failed—I failed as a leader. I felt I had failed as a coach. I certainly felt like I had failed as a friend to Divine and Rene," he said.
However, the families of both student-athletes stressed that an apology alone would not be enough and called for accountability from those responsible for overseeing the activity.
