Ateneo de Manila University President Fr. Roberto Yap, SJ, on Thursday, turned emotional as he apologized anew to the families of student-athletes Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili, while also condemning the cyberbullying directed at the surviving student-athletes of the Dipaculao, Aurora tragedy.

Appearing before the Senate Committee on Basic Education's inquiry into student-athlete welfare and protection, Yap opened his statement by asking those present to remember Baterbonia and Adili. He says the university continues to mourn with their families.

"To their families, I once again express my deepest sorrow and my sincerest apologies for everything they have had to endure since June 8. Nothing we say or do today can ever lessen the pain of losing a son," Yap said.

He recounted the university's efforts to assist the victims' families—including visiting the wakes, celebrating Mass with them, arranging the transport of the victims' remains, and providing logistical and pastoral support—as he spoke about the university's continuing commitment to accompany them through their grief.

He said Ateneo immediately informed the families after learning of the incident on June 8 and assured them of the university's support. The school also facilitated the transportation of the remains of Baterbonia and Adili, as well as the return of members of the basketball team, coaching staff, and support personnel.

Yap said Ateneo had also offered to shoulder the travel expenses of Baterbonia's family to Manila, coordinated with Ateneo de Davao University in assisting them, and worked to facilitate Adili's return to Nigeria.

He acknowledged that many of the university's efforts were not immediately made public, explaining that they were carried out discreetly out of respect for the privacy of the grieving families.

"We know that none of these efforts can ever fill the void left by Rene and Divine, or change what has happened, or ease the immeasurable loss their families continue to bear," he said.

Midway into his opening statement, Yap's voice broke, pausing briefly as he stated that the university continues to provide pastoral, psychosocial, and other forms of support to surviving student-athletes and members of the Ateneo community affected by the tragedy.

He condemned cyberbullying, online harassment, and what he described as "trial by publicity" directed at surviving student-athletes, saying such acts only deepen the suffering of people already grieving.

"Our support for those affected does not diminish our commitment to care for every member of our community while the legal processes are ongoing," he said.

The Ateneo president emphasized that the university is committed to determining what happened while respecting ongoing legal, regulatory, and internal investigations.

He said the institution aims to learn from the tragedy and strengthen systems that protect the safety, well-being, and formation of students participating in athletics and other university activities.

"We hear our community's frustrations and understand the demand for swift action. We share that sense of urgency, but we also owe it to everyone affected by this tragedy to make decisions based on verified facts," Yap said.

He also assured the Senate of Ateneo's full cooperation with the inquiry while respecting the integrity of parallel proceedings.