PNP spox to UP Student Regent: No intention to exclude you from dialogue

Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac on Friday said it is not the intention of the PNP to supposedly exclude the University of the Philippines' Office of the Student Regent in the recent dialogue between police and officials of the academe.

"No intention to exclude them. It is just that we started with top academe officials muna," Banac told GMA News Online.

Banac said in the next dialogues, the UP Office of the Student Regent will surely be informed and invited.

"Definitely, when schedule for dialogue with student bodies and youth groups is up and ready, they will also be invited," he said.

On Thursday, the UP Office of the Student Regent claimed that it was not consulted and invited on the dialogue last Tuesday at Camp Crame. Aside from police officials, those present in the dialogue were Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairperson Prospero De Vera, University of the Philippines president Danilo Concepcion, members of the UP Board of Regents, Polytechnic University of the Philippines president Emmanuel De Guzman as well as representatives from the Ateneo De Manila University and De La Salle University.

On that day, De Vera had said information-sharing between the police and the academe is important so that the alleged crime incidents inside the campus, including the alleged proliferation of illegal drugs, will be addressed.

The Office of the Student Regent maintained its opposition in allowing police and military in schools and campuses, noting that their mere presence threatens the academic freedom of youth due to the alleged violations of security forces against students in the previous years. — RSJ, GMA News