The Ateneo de Manila University community is in mourning following the passing of students Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili, who died in a drowning incident in Dipaculao, Aurora last June 8, 2026—an incident that has since sparked grief, unanswered questions, and growing calls for accountability within the university.
As classmates, friends, and faculty continue to grieve the loss of the two Ateneans, student leaders and graduating seniors have begun organizing collective actions to honor their memory and press for clarity surrounding the circumstances of the tragedy.
The university’s student government body, the Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral, has called for a community-wide walkout on June 19 at 1 p.m., urging students, faculty, and staff to stand in solidarity with the bereaved families.
“Amid our collective grief, the Ateneo is in a great period of reckoning,” Sanggu’s statement read. “As the community and the loved ones of Rene and Divine reel from this insurmountable loss, it is incumbent on this very institution to face accountability in all forms and subject itself to the calls for renewal from the broader community to which it is answerable.
“As we continue to grieve the tragic loss of our fellow Ateneans, questions remain unanswered, and justice remains out of reach,” it added.
“On Friday, we call on our fellow students, our esteemed faculty and staff, to walk out in solidarity with the bereaved families of Rene and Divine, and echo the resounding call for justice, accountability, and clarity from the administration.”
The walkout is expected to take place shortly before the HE-Wide Commencement Rites, as graduating students are encouraged to join the demonstration in solidarity with the victims’ families.
In a separate show of support, members of the graduating class of 2026 announced that they will wear black bands during commencement exercises from June 19 to 21, 2026.
“Graduating Ateneans, march in solidarity for Rene and Divine!” the group said in its statement. “Graduation is a time to celebrate with remembrance, gratitude, and love. But as it has become clear in the last few days, lingering questions about our University’s response to this tragedy, and the continued outcry for transparency, justice, and accountability for the deaths of Rene and Divine, have left our batch and the whole of the Ateneo community with anger, loss, and pain that is unlikely to disappear come Graduation Day.
“We simply cannot act as if everything is normal. In these times of grief and gratitude for our community, it is love that must bind us, and solidarity that must remind us of who we are.”
The group further called on all graduating students to wear black bands on their right wrists during commencement ceremonies.
“Let us respond to this pain with solidarity. Solidarity with the families and teammates of Rene and Divine, with a nation that continues to seek answers, and with a community that demands its own home to do better,” the statement read.
Members of the Senior Alliance said black ribbons and bands will also be distributed at the assembly area prior to the commencement rites, while inviting graduates to join the community walkout scheduled for June 19 at 1 p.m.
