Senators advise DND to reconsider unilateral termination of DND-UP agreement

Several senators who graduated from the University of the Philippines on Tuesday urged Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to take a step back and rethink the unilateral termination of the agreement barring the entry of state security forces in the state university.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Tuesday said he was saddened by this development and warned that removing the accord would unnecessarily increase the tension between the UP community and the authorities.

"As a UP graduate, I know how the whole UP community values the freedom inside the campus," Drilon, who earned his Doctor of Laws degree in the state university, said in a statement.

Citing that UP has become a safe haven for enemies of the state and a breeding ground for communist groups, the DND decided to abrogate its 31-year-old agreement with the UP which bans the entry of military and police forces in the campus if they have no prior coordination with UP officials.

This move was totally unnecessary and unwarranted, according to UP president Danilo Concepcion.

A former justice secretary, Drilon underscored that retaining the agreement would not mean that UP is above the law.

"If there are issues of violations of the law, a search warrant is a remedy available to the authorities not only in other places but also in UP," he said.

"I know Sec. Delfin Lorenzana to be a very reasonable person. I would ask him to review the termination of the agreement, because it does not solve any problem. It just heightens the tension; it does not solve any problem," he added.

A former chairman of the UP Student Council and a former Student Regent, Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan also opposed the decision of the DND.

"Tinutulan natin ang panghihimasok ng diktador noon. UP has always been and will always be a citadel of freedom and democracy," he said on Twitter. "Pakiusap lang. Please don't mess with UP."

'Disrespectful, needs consultation'

Senator Nancy Binay, who finished her tourism degree in the state university in 1997, stressed that the 1989 DND-UP Agreement is a product of the sacrifices of the many generations of UP students to fight for academic freedom and other Filipinos' rights.

"Red-tagging UP students and constricting UP’s democratic space do not silence critical opinions. Limiting and suppressing the democratic rights of students, faculty, non-academic staff, and the entire UP community do not diminish their sense of patriotism—nor will keep the community silent," Binay said.

She warned that this "disrespectful" move of the security sector will constrict academic freedom and further breed mistrust amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senator Sonny Angara, also an alumni, also implored Lorenzana to consult with the university leaders first.

"Just like any other legal agreement, prior consultation is required before any decision to amend or in this case, terminate is implemented," he said.

"We appeal to our good Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to reconsider his decision and sit down with the officials of UP to come up with solutions to ensuring peace and security in our nation, which I am sure is an aspiration shared by both sides," he added.

The senator emphasized that the dynamism produced by academic freedom in the UP is a big factor why it ranks high among universities across the region.

'Look for communists in West Philippine Sea'

Senator Risa Hontiveros, a graduate of Ateneo De Manila University, also stood for the UP community.

The university must continue to be a safe space for dissent and peaceful assembly, according to the opposition senator.

"Kung desidido ang administrasyon maghanap ng komunista, pagdiskitahan nila yung mga komunistang lantarang nanghihimasok sa West Philippine Sea," Hontiveros said, apparently referring to China.

"Needlessly propping up the 'communist bogeyman' has always been an obscene vanity project and an excuse for their red tagging and disregard for basic human rights," she added.

Aside from the pact with UP, Lorenzana said the DND is also eyeing to terminate agreements with other schools and universities, citing the problem of alleged recruitment of communist rebels among the students.

UP Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Elena Pernia, on the other hand, said the university does not condone New People’s Army recruitments inside the campus.—AOL, GMA News