IBP: Corruption, oppression are true nesting grounds for dissent, not schools

It is not universities but government incompetence, corruption, and oppression that drive dissent or even lead Filipinos to join the armed struggle, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) said Monday.

Speaking on “The Mangahas Interviews,” IBP national president Domingo Cayosa said the government must focus on addressing the root causes of dissent to resolve its concerns with the alleged recruitment of students into the New People’s Army (NPA).

“It is really the corruption, incompetence, abuse, oppression, at ‘yung kawalan ng hustisya, kahirapan, at hopelessness, that is the real nesting ground of dissent or even armed struggle against government,” he said.

“Buong Pilipinas is fertile ground hangga’t hindi talaga natatanggal itong mga root causes na ito, which should be the focus of government.”

The Department of National Defense (DND) earlier unilaterally terminated its 31-year-old accord with the University of the Philippines (UP) that prevented state forces from freely entering the campus without prior coordination. 

The DND alleged that “clandestine recruitment” of students into the armed struggle was taking place in UP campuses.

“Even assuming na merong recruitment… ‘yung academic freedom, ‘yung mga constitutional rights to privacy, ‘yung due process, namamayani pa rin ‘yan,” Cayosa stressed.

The spokesman of the government's anti-insurgency task force also accused over 30 other schools of being hotbeds of communist recruitment. 

The claim was dismissed as a “rehash” that was “cast without proof” by four universities included in the said list. 

Cayosa said citizens’ rights are “not dependent on any agreement” and cannot be violated at will.

“Kinakailangan igalang pa rin ang karapatan ng ating mga mag-aaral, mga guro, na maghayag, mag-isip nang malaya even if the views and positions that they take are contrary to that of government or others,” he said.—Julia Mari Ornedo/LDF, GMA News