Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 25) – Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said his office will only issue a legal opinion on the abrogation of the 1989 University of the Philippines-Department of National Defense Accord if requested.
“The SOJ, as attorney general, does not issue legal opinions or commence administrative adjudication proceedings unless requested by heads of government agencies or other states instrumentalities,” he told reporters in a text message.
Considering that there is an “apparent dispute” between UP and the DND on the termination of their pact, Guevarra added that the DOJ will view any request for legal opinion as a request for administrative adjudication under the Revised Administrative Code.
“[This] provides that all such disputes between government entities should be brought before the DOJ, OSG, or OGCC, as the case may be,” he said.
The DND abrogated its decades-old pact with the state university, which keeps uniformed personnel out of UP campuses, citing the need to protect its students from being recruited by communist groups.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier said his office is open to have a dialogue with UP management as long as it can explain the deaths of some of its students with the NPA rebels during military encounters.
CNN Philippines’ correspondent Anjo Alimario and multi-platform news writer Vince Ferreras contributed to this report
