📄 Abstract
The deaths of collegiate student-athletes Rene Clert Baterbonia and Divine Adili during an off-season team-building activity in June 2026 exposed significant gaps in the institutional framework governing collegiate athletics in the Philippines. While higher education institutions are entrusted with the welfare and development of student-athletes, existing legal and regulatory provisions inadequately define the extent of institutional responsibility, particularly during off-campus and off-season activities. Anchored on the constitutional duty of the State to provide quality education and promote sports development, the regulatory authority of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the principles of negligence and vicarious liability under Articles 2176 and 2180 of the Civil Code, this paper argues that colleges and universities possess continuing duties over student-athletes placed under their supervision. However, current policies remain reactive and fragmented. Consequently, this paper proposes reforms aimed at strengthening institutional accountability, clarifying the concept of custody, and establishing preventive safety mechanisms in collegiate athletic programs.
📚 How to Cite:
JP Versinie M. Salmorin, MAEd , STRENGTHENING ACCOUNTABILITY AND RISK GOVERNANCE IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS: A POLICY REVIEW OF HIGHER EDUCATION PROVISIONS IN LIGHT OF THE BATERBONIA-ADILI TRAGEDY , Volume 12 , Issue 6, June 2026, EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) , Pages: 913 - 916 , DOI: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra28567