Dole asks Aurora resort for safety papers after Ateneo athletes' deaths

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) has ordered the resort in Aurora where two student-athletes from Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) reportedly drowned to submit documents on their safety protocols to the agency, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said on Wednesday.

Tolentino earlier said that the Dole Region 3 Office conducted an inspection on the resort in Aurora where the incident happened to assess the safety signages and training of safety officers and lifeguards.

READ: Dole sets June 29 hearing on Tab Baldwin’s work permit validity

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“We asked for certification on the number of lifeguards and their safety protocols. The Dole Region 3 Office is working on it,” Tolentino, speaking mostly in Filipino, told reporters in an interview.

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Tolentino said that the resort has until this week to submit the required certifications. He then warned that the resort may face consequences, including permanent closure and fines, if the documents are found to be falsified.

Upon inspecting Dole Region 3, Tolentino said their initial assessment found a lack of safety signage in the resort.

He then pointed out the case with the Golden Years Construction and Steel Works Corp., the contractor of the collapsed nine-story building in Angeles, Pampanga. He noted that the Dole imposed a P11 million fine on the owner and the contractor for labor standards violations and submission of fake certificates for first-aid personnel and safety officer.

READ: Rene Baterbonia laid to rest in Agusan del Sur hometown

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Meanwhile, the Dole has set June 25 as the last day for resigned ADMU men’s basketball team head coach Tab Baldwin to submit his verified explanation regarding the validity of his work permit and the team-building last June 8.

A drowning incident occurred during a team-building activity last June 8, which claimed the lives of student-athletes Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili. Baterbonia was laid to rest in his hometown in Agusan del Sur on Wednesday while Adili’s remains are awaiting the final leg of repatriation to Nigeria. /jpv

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