DILG interior secretary Jonvic Remulla called for sobriety as he urged the public to stop harassing members of the Ateneo men’s basketball team in the aftermath of the tragedy which took the lives of Rene Baterbnonia and Divine Adili.
While steadfast in seeking accountability for those who were truly responsible, Remulla once again highlighted that these student athletes are also victims who were lucky to survive the tragedy.
READ DILG backtracks on charges vs Ateneo student managers, utilities
Looking for a scapegoat, people online have turned their attention to members of the Ateneo men’s basketball team, particularly rookie Kieffer Alas who have unjustly become the target of hateful and unwarranted remarks.
To this day, there has been no evidence pointing that Alas, or any player in the squad, was involved in any sort of ‘hazing’ which led to the untimely passing of Baterbonia and Adili.
"Ang mga batang ito ay miyembro ng Ateneo at pangalan nito ang kanilang dala-dala, pangalan na tungkulin ng unibersidad na pangalagaan," Remilla said.
"Kaugnay nito, aming nililinaw na walang ibang student-athlete ang nakitaan ng dahilan upang maging respondent sa kasong aming irerekomenda. Sila ay pawang mga biktima rin ng marahas na training na naganap."
Remulla also reminded the public that the ramifications of this tragedy go beyond legalities, noting the tremendous psychological impact it will leave on the players who survived the incident.
With these athletes experiencing a mix of loss, grief and survivor’s guilt, compounding these with unfounded comments surely won’t help.
The Interior secretary also called on Ateneo to make sure that these survivors will get all the assistance they need in this ordeal.
"Hindi lamang ito usapan ng pananagutang legal. Ang trahedyang naganap ay nag-iwan at matagal na mag-iiwan ng pinsala sa lahat ng estudyanteng naroon sa insidente at ito ay dapat bigyang pansin lalo na ng pamunuan ng Ateneo."
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
