Professors from 6 universities denounce proposed military, police presence on campus

A group of professors from different universities on Wednesday denounced the proposed military and police "intrusion" in campuses to counter alleged left-leaning indoctrination of students.

“Nararapat na ipaglaban ng mga akademiko, guro at mag-aaral ang kalayaan sa pag-aaral,” the teachers said in a unity statement on Wednesday.

“Ang kalayaang pang-akademiko ang makapagtitiyak na maipapahayag ang kaalaman at karunungan nang walang pangambang masupil o malimitahan batay sa banta at pananakot,” said the academics from the University of the Philippines, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, Far Eastern University, and the University of San Tomas.

The group said that the presence of armed forces in schools may spoil the freedom of teachers and students to engage in discussion and debates about social issues inside and outside the country.

“Nagiging makabuluhan ang mga institusyon ng edukasyon kapag may pagtitiyak itong makakapagtalakay, makakapagtalastasan at makakapagdebate ang mga guro at mag aaral ng mga ideya at kaisipan sa kalagayang malaya at walang banta ng panganib o panunupil,” they said.

If the discussion of social issues is prohibited and replaced by mere compliance instead, the essence of education will be compromised, the group said.

On Tuesday, hundreds of University of the Philippines students and faculty members walked out of classes to protest the government's proposed plan.

Former police chief Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa earlier said that the police and the military should also be allowed to "indoctrinate" students in state universities and colleges to compete with the supposed brainwashing activities of left-leaning organizations and "communists.”

Dela Rosa made the statement amid a hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs regarding the cases of students supposedly "missing" after joining left-leaning groups.

In their statement, the university professors said that before the proposal to allow government armed forces’ presence in schools, there were earlier threats that, they said, limit progressive thinking and patriotic orientation in education like the exclusion of Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas subject from high school curriculum and panitikan at wikang Filipino in some universities.

“Natamo ng bayan ang kalayaan kasabay ng pagpapalaya ng mga kaisipan,” they said.

“Ang mga banta ng panunupil sa mga akademiko, guro at mag aaral ang nagpapahayag ng pagbabanta hindi lamang sa pag iral ng malayang edukasyon, kundi banta rin sa pag iral ng malayang lipunan,” they added.

Philippine National Police chief Police General Oscar Albayalde has denied that schools and campuses were being militarized, while  is ongoing, while National Capital Region Police Office chief Police Major General Guillermo Eleazar earlier said that allowing a police presence inside campuses would "protect" students. — Joviland Rita/BM, GMA News