Student-athletes' protection bill filed in Senate

MANILA, Philippines – A bill on the protection of student-athletes during and in preparation for competitions was filed in the Senate on Tuesday.

Sen. JV Ejercito filed Senate Bill No. 2269, or the “Student-Athletes Comprehensive Protection Act of 2026″, which seeks amendments to expand Republic Act No. 10676, or the Student-Athletes Protection Act.

This comes after the fatal drowning of Ateneo de Manila University men’s basketball team players Rene Clert Baterbonia and Divine Adili in Dipaculao, Aurora earlier this month.

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The proposed measure adds in its provisions the “rights of student-athletes” as well as the “duty of educational institutions and athletic associations” during competitions and training sessions.

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One of the six rights of student-athletes detailed in the bill include “free or subsidized medical expense coverage from the participating schools or athletic associations he/she represented or is representing in any case of physical injury or sports-related harm suffered by him/her as a result of his/her participation in the athletic program or competition.”

READ: PNP to ‘carefully consider’ all accounts in Ateneo drowning case

This complements two of the five duties of the sports institutions also proposed through the bill, which are “the establishment and implementation of response and injury management protocol,” and “the provision of safe and suitable sports facilities, equipment, and training environments.”

Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go earlier filed a similar bill to create a “comprehensive student-athlete safety and welfare policy.”

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Go introduced on Monday Senate Bill No. 2261, which shall establish “minimum safety standards for sports-related activities.”

READ: Cagers’ deaths: Ateneo head says sorry, accepts Baldwin’s resignation

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On the same day, the senator also sought an inquiry into the deaths of Baterbonia and Adili.

He filed Senate Resolution No. 450, directing the chamber’s committee on sports to conduct a probe into the tragedy.

“Team-building activities… and other off-campus athletic exercises have become integral components of the development of student-athletes, requiring institutions and sports organizations to adopt adequate safety standards, risk-management measures, and emergency response mechanisms,” Go wrote in his resolution. /gsg

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