RELATED: Senators file resolution opposing UP-DND accord termination
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 20) — A congresswoman of the Duterte Youth Partylist has called on the Department of National Defense to scrap its pact with the Polytechnic University of the Philippines that bans the unannounced entry of uniformed security personnel in school premises.
Duterte Youth Rep. Ducielle Cardema on Tuesday said the accord between DND and the state university should also be abrogated, similar to what Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana did with the 1989 deal with the University of the Philippines. She questioned why the two universities are given “special treatment” when other state universities and colleges are not given a similar privilege.
“If you can present a copy, I will abrogate it also,” he said in a media briefing.
“Itong UP-DND Accord & PUP-DND Accord ay klarong klaro na special treatment na inabuso na, sa tagal ng panahon. Kung sa 400 plus campuses ng iba’t ibang SUCs ng bansa wala namang ganyang accord pero peaceful naman, tama lamang tanggalin na ang special treatment na ‘yan na naaabuso rin naman,” she said in a statement.
[Translation: The UP-DND Accord and PUP-DND accord are clearly special treatments that have been abused. There are over 400 campuses of state universities and colleges without similar agreements, yet it’s peaceful there. It’s about time to end the special treatment being given to them since it is also being abused.]
The lawmaker claimed that the academic freedom UP students enjoy through the agreement has been abused by some radical leftist groups to promote the youth recruitment of the communist rebels in their campuses.
“The UP-DND Accord was used to uphold academic freedom but these leftist groups have abused it to shield them, so that the government and our government troops cannot arrest them for their seditious acts,” she added.
After DND unilaterally terminated its accord with UP on January 15, Lorenzana said they are looking into other similar agreements. He admitted that he hasn’t seen a copy of the PUP-DND deal and the 1981 letter between former student leader Sonia Soto and ex-Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, but said he will also repeal it once he gets a hold of the copies.
Vice President Leni Robredo, several lawmakers, and progressive groups have condemned the decision of Lorenzana. UP President Danilo Concepcion urged the defense chief to reconsider his decision, saying it may have a chilling effect on academic freedom.
