Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 21) – Following the unilateral abrogation of the 1989 University of the Philippines-Department of National Defense Accord, a bill was filed at the lower chamber that seeks to institutionalize state universities as freedom spaces.
Quezon City Rep. Christopher Belmonte filed House Bill No. 8443 or the “Academic Freedom Act of 2021.”
“The bill aims to declare schools and state universities and colleges as freedom spaces where academic freedom is guaranteed. The bill also recognizes that SUCs can exercise their full acts of ownership over their property,” the bill stated.
The measure would only allow uniformed personnel to enter campuses in cases of hot pursuit and similar occasions of emergency. They are not allowed to conduct operations inside without coordination with school administration.
The bill also requires prior notification of SUC official before search warrants or warrants of arrest are served on any student, faculty, employee, or invited participant in any school activity.
“In case of prior notification, the party serving the warrants shall coordinate closely with members of the SUC police or security force who shall accompany and assist them in the service of warrants,” the bill read.
“No warrant shall be served without the presence of at least two faculty members designated by the appropriate SUC official,” it added.
Moreover, the arrest or detention of any student, faculty, or employee the SUC anywhere in the country shall be reported immediately to the responsible head of the uniformed personnel enforcing the arrest or detention to the appropriate SUC official, who shall take the necessary action.
The measure also provides that uniformed personnel shall not interfere with any peaceful protests within SUC premises.
“No permit, written, or otherwise, shall be required by the national or local government for any person or persons to organize and hold a public assembly in SUCs,” the bill stated.
The UP-DND Accord is an agreement that prohibits the military and other law enforcement officers from entering UP campuses without justification and prior notification.
The DND recently terminated the three-decade-old agreement with UP, citing the need to protect students from alleged recruitment by communist organizations.
Several senators recently filed a bill that seeks to institutionalize the accord by including it in the Republic Act No. 9500, which is an act “to strengthen the University of the Philippines as the national university.”
READ: The 1989 UP-DND Accord: Content and context
