PINOY Workers Party-list Rep. Karl Fernandez Legazpi on Tuesday extended his condolences to the families of two Ateneo de Manila University student-athletes who died during a team-building activity in Aurora, while calling for a congressional investigation on the review of safety measures protecting young athletes.
Legazpi, a former commissioner of the National Youth Commission and currently vice chairperson of the House Committee on Youth and Sports Development, said the deaths of Divine Adili and Rene Clert Baterbonia underscore the need to ensure that institutions entrusted with the development of student-athletes maintain the highest standards of safety and care.
“I extend my deepest condolences to the families, friends, and the entire Ateneo community following the tragic deaths of student-athletes Divine Adili and Rene Clert Baterbonia during a team-building activity in Aurora,” Legazpi said who vowed to file a resolution calling for a congressional investigation.
“In light of these events, I will be filing a House Resolution urging the House Committee on Youth and Sports Development to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the adequacy of existing policies, safety standards, and accountability mechanisms governing school-sponsored athletic programs, with the end in view of strengthening the protection and welfare of student-athletes,” Legazpi said.
“These young athletes had promising futures ahead of them. Beyond their talents on the court, they were sons, students, teammates, and individuals whose lives were filled with potential. Their untimely passing is a heartbreaking loss not only to their families and school, but also to Philippine sports,” he added.
Legazpi said the tragedy serves as a reminder that sports programs must prioritize the welfare and protection of young athletes alongside athletic development.
“As a former Commissioner-at-Large of the National Youth Commission and currently the Vice Chairperson of the House Committee on Youth and Sports Development, I have always advocated for the welfare, protection, and holistic development of Filipino youth. This tragedy reminds us that while sports cultivate discipline, resilience, and excellence, institutions entrusted with the development of young athletes must likewise be held to the highest standards of safety, care, and accountability,” he said.
The lawmaker said efforts should focus not only on determining the circumstances surrounding the incident but also on preventing similar tragedies in the future.
“The goal is not merely to determine the circumstances of this particular tragedy, but to ensure that no other family has to endure the same loss. If this tragedy can happen in one of the country’s most respected educational institutions, then it is incumbent upon us to examine whether sufficient protections exist for student-athletes nationwide,” Legazpi said.
“We owe it to Divine and Rene, and to every young Filipino athlete, to learn from this loss and pursue meaningful reforms,” Legazpi added.
