MANILA, Philippines — The Ateneo de Manila University on Friday asked its community and the public to be discerning, following a fake statement over the deaths of basketball players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili.
A “deleted post” of the university was shared by the account @thereplicaph via TikTok on Wednesday, claiming that there was “no conclusive evidence” establishing negligence or misconduct in the part of the school, staff, or members of the Blue Eagles team.
The statement also read that in the absence of a final ruling or substantiated findings establishing responsibility, Ateneo was “not in the position to extend assistance beyond what is required under applicable policies and law”.
As of Friday, the post remains active on the platform and has 363,500 views.
“The Ateneo de Manila University community is advised to exercise discernment in sharing information related to the recent tragedy,” the university said.
“As inaccurate, altered, and unverified reports may cause further distress to those affected, we urge everyone to rely only on official communication channels from the University… In this time of grief, let us uphold truth and respect the dignity of those affected,” it added.
Baterbonia’s remains were flown to Davao City on Thursday night, after spending a few nights in the Arlington Memorial Chapels in Quezon City, while Adili’s family called for justice and asked for an autopsy before his remains are to be repatriated to Nigeria.