Lorenzana willing to discuss UP-DND pact but says UP should explain students' deaths

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Wednesday said he is willing to talk with the University of the Philippines about the termination of the pact that kept state forces out of its campuses for three decades, but on one condition.

At a press conference, Lorenzana said UP has to explain why its students have been among those killed in state forces' encounters with communist New People's Army rebels.

"If they can explain that, we will talk. If not, then forget it," he said.

The secretary made the statement after UP President Danilo Concepcion called on him to reconsider the "totally unnecessary and unwarranted" unilateral termination of the UP-Department of National Defense accord.

Lorenzana also confirmed that he terminated the pact without consulting UP.

"Yes, I am open to a dialogue with them, I appreciate the decision of a lot of well-meaning people like members of the Senate to pass a resolution to ask to dialogue, also Secretary [Harry] Roque has offered his office for a dialogue between me and [UP President] Danilo Concepcion," he said.

"I am willing to talk to him pero sagutin muna nila kung bakit namatay itong mga tao ito na kasama ng NPA. This a list of students of UP from all UP campuses na namatay during encounters with the Armed Forces. Explain to me bakit nangyari ito sa kanila, why did they fail to protect these young kids joining these organizations and they get killed," Lorenzana added.

Roque, a UP alumnus and former member of its faculty, has offered to facilitate the discussion between Lorenzana and Concepcion.

UP officials had earlier said the school administration is not condoning the alleged recruitment of students to the communist movement inside the university.

In 1989, the DND and UP agreed that police and military forces need to give prior notice to university officials before conducting operations in any of the university's campuses.

But Lorenzana told Concepcion in a January 15 letter that it was time to end the agreement. He claimed UP is a venue for "clandestine recruitment" into the CPP-NPA.

The UP community erupted in protest, its members saying the abrogation of the accord threatened academic freedom. UP Diliman Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo also expressed fears of violence and unlawful arrests that could stem from broadly "red-tagging" students and teachers.

Nemenzo also said the termination caught UP by surprise. He said the university is willing to engage in a dialogue with the DND.  —KBK, GMA News