CHED tells Ateneo: Explain drowning

The Commission on Higher Education has ordered Ateneo de Manila University to explain within 10 days why it should not be penalized over the drowning of two basketball players in Aurora, after the school allegedly refused to turn over information the commission had been requesting for a week.

- Cristina Chi/Philstar.com

CHED issued the show cause order on June 16 and shared it in a public statement signed by Chairperson Shirley Agrupis on Tuesday night, June 23.

The order follows the June 8 deaths of Rene Clert Baterbonia and Divine Adil, who both drowned “during a school-sanctioned team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora,” the CHED statement read.

The commission said it had reached out to Ateneo a day after the tragedy. On June 9, CHED said its National Capital Region office directed Ateneo to hand over an incident report, a certificate of compliance with off-campus activity rules, and documents required under its anti-hazing policy.

Despite repeated follow-ups, the CHED chairperson said, the university did not produce the records.