Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday, June 12, expressed support for calls seeking justice for student-athletes Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili while questioning Ateneo's response following their deaths.

In an interview in Davao City, Duterte described Baterbonia as a promising athlete whose death has raised serious concerns about accountability and the duty of schools to support students and their families during times of crisis.

“Unang-una, nakakalungkot na ganun ‘yung nangyari sa isang estudyante, sa isang promising na athlete natin sa bansa (First of all, it is heartbreaking that such a thing happened to a student, one of our country’s promising athletes),” Duterte said.

The Vice President said she believes Ateneo's response to the incident was inadequate, particularly in its communication with and support for the grieving family.

“Pakiramdam ko kulang na kulang iyong response ng Ateneo sa nangyari (I feel that Ateneo’s response to what happened was very lacking),” she added.

According to Duterte, educational institutions have a responsibility to immediately reach out to families, explain the circumstances surrounding an incident, and provide assistance when a student dies while under their care.

“Dapat kasi sa mga ganyan na mga panahon ay nauuna ‘yung pag-reach out nila sa pamilya at pagpapaintindi sa pamilya kung ano ‘yung nangyari at ano ‘yung mga kailangan nilang gawin… the family and the school (In times like these, the first priority should be reaching out to the family and helping them understand what happened and what they need to do—both the family and the school),” Duterte said.

Asked whether she supports calls for justice for Baterbonia and Adili, Duterte responded affirmatively.

As a lawyer, Duterte said the case appears legally actionable, though she emphasized that the family should first focus on mourning and laying their child to rest before pursuing possible legal remedies.

“Actionable ‘yung nangyari para sa akin (I consider what happened to be actionable),” Duterte said.

“Hindi ko na lang gatungan ‘yung pamilya kasi alam mo, mahirap ‘yung pinagdadaanan nila ngayon (I don’t want to add to the family’s burden because they are already going through something very difficult),” she added.

While she said she did not want to aggravate the families’ grief, Duterte urged them to consult legal counsel afterward and carefully evaluate the options available to seek accountability.

“Dapat sila… pagkatapos ng lahat ng kanilang kailangang gawin para sa burol at pagpapalibing ng kanilang anak, ay umupo sila at mag-isip kung ano ‘yung dapat na gawin nila para mabigyan ng hustisya ang kanilang anak (After they have completed everything they need to do for the wake and burial of their child, they should sit down and think about what must be done to give their child justice),” Duterte said.

“Gawin nila legally at mag-consulta ng abogado (They should do it legally and consult a lawyer),” she added.

Duterte also disclosed that she hopes to personally extend her condolences to the Baterbonia family once funeral arrangements have been finalized.

Her remarks come amid growing public scrutiny over the circumstances surrounding Baterbonia’s death and increasing calls for transparency, accountability, and a thorough investigation into the incident.

The Vice President said schools must prioritize student welfare and remain actively engaged with families whenever serious incidents occur, adding that accountability and support for affected families should remain paramount.

She stressed that the incident was far from ordinary and warranted greater attention from school officials.

“So, pakiramdam ko ay malaki ang pagkukulang ng paaralan sa pagbibigay ng support sa pamilya, lalong-lalo na dahil hindi ito ordinaryong pangyayari—ito ay pagkamatay ng isang estudyante (I feel that the school has fallen short in providing support to the family, especially since this is not an ordinary incident—this is the death of a student),” Duterte said.