UP students, teachers walk out of classes, protest vs. military 'intrusion'

Hundreds of students and faculty members of the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman on Tuesday walked out of their classes and held a protest action to oppose the ‘intrusion’ of military and police forces in their campus.

LOOK: UP students walk out of their classes and hold protest action to oppose ‘military intrusion’ in their school. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/Z3Wkh1HIAP

— Joviland Rita (@jovilandxrita) August 20, 2019

According to the UP Student Regent, the protest was also to declare the campus as a “zone of peace against the presence of state agents.”

LOOK: Hundreds of students and faculty members join the ‘day of walkout and action’ in University of the Philippines - Diliman to oppose ‘military intrusion’ in campus and to defend academic freedom. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/pfLsDPNcuF

— Joviland Rita (@jovilandxrita) August 20, 2019

“If not for the military of the students, we have nothing. Any effort to uproot our academic freedom to critically engage our society can only benefit those in power who want to escape accountability,” UP Student Regent Isaac Punzalan said in a press release issued on Tuesday.

WATCH: UP students sing ‘Unibersidad ng Pilipinas’ chant during a protest action to oppose ‘military intrusion’ in their campus. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/qRknLP4WzG

— Joviland Rita (@jovilandxrita) August 20, 2019

Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa earlier suggested allowing police and military personnel to conduct an"indoctrination" among students in state universities and colleges to compete with the supposed brainwashing activities of left-leaning organizations and "communists”.

The senator made the statement during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs regarding the cases of missing students after allegedly joining left-leaning groups.

“Bato dela Rosa and his master Duterte are utter fools in spreading misinformation and stopping so low as to sensationalize family struggles just to forward their repressive agenda against the youth,” Punzalan said.

“No amount of these despicable and shallow theatrics will ever weaken the student movement and activism in our university,” Punzalan added.

Police officials also proposed to revive the anti-subversion law and amend the Human Security Act of 2007.

League of College Councils (LCC) convenor Kenneth Eser Jose called the combination of proposals as “martial law in schools.”

“Altogether, this is effectively Martial Law in Schools that can lead to harassment, surveillance and intimidation in our community,” Jose said in a press release issued on Tuesday.

Punzalan said they challenge Dela Rosa and the Philippine National Police in a debate to talk about the issue.

“They need not to bring guns, only their principles, and we will settle the score,” Punzalan said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Dela Rosa appeared on GMA News' Unang Balita and called for a more "open-minded" approach to a policy which bans the presence of police and military personnel inside state university campuses.

He was referring to an agreement made in 1989 between UP and the Department of National Defense which bans the police or the military from entering UP to conduct lectures on career options in the armed services.

"Binabawalan nila 'yung police at military na pumasok sa campus in the guise of 'yung bawal militarization at 'yung academic freedom. How about 'yung Kaliwa? pinapabayaan ninyo, ine-encourage niyo pa ang mga batang sumali doon sa Kaliwa," the senator said.

"So kung gusto niyo talagang academic freedom, bigyan ninyo ng liberty ang lahat ng estudyante na pumanig kung saan nila gustong pumanig," he added.

Dela Rosa also brushed brushed off concerns of militarization and police intervention in state universities, and said while he respects the right of the youth to express themselves, there is a line between activism and taking up arms against the government. —KG, GMA News