Rene Baterbonia, ADMU President Fr. Roberto Yap, SJ, and Divine Adili.
MANILA, Philippines — The silence from Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) a week after the deaths of basketball players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili was meant to respect the grieving families, school officials said on Monday.
In a statement read during a press conference, ADMU President Fr. Roberto Yap, SJ, said the university “chose direct, involved action for the families and the members of the team” instead of broadcasting these to the public.
“The few public updates were not because we did not care for the bereaved families. We believe — and continue to believe — that public relations or institutional noise should not intrude upon a family’s grief,” Yap said.
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