President Duterte has backed the Department of National Defense’s decision to terminate an accord with the University of the Philippines (UP) that will now allow the free entry of government forces in its campuses, Malacanang announced Tuesday.
“(Defense) Secretary (Delfin) Lorenzana is an alter ego of the President. Of course, the President supports the decision of Secretary Lorenzana,” Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said during a televised press briefing.
Lorenzana recently wrote a letter to UP President Danilo Concepcion announcing the DND’s decision to terminate the accord with UP amid concerns the state university has supposedly become “a safe haven for enemies of the state.
The agreement, forged in 1989, required state forces to notify school officials before conducting operations within the UP campuses as a courtesy.
Roque, a UP alumnus of UP and former professor, defended the DND decision to scrap the deal on limited police and military presence in its premises, saying academic freedom would not be affected.
Roque, who also studied abroad, pointed out that campuses in the United States and United Kingdom have police presence but academic freedom has never been violated.
“Alam ninyo po lalung-lalo na sa Inglatera, wala pong distinction between a campus and the city – na ang campus is very much of the city. At sa buong Europa po, ibig sabihin ang pulis eh naruroon din po sa lahat ng mga campuses at wala naman pong paglabag sa academic freedom,” he said.
“Nasa mga taga-UP rin po iyan… hindi po nila papayagan na mabale-wala at malabag ang kanilang karapatan sa academic freedom,” he added.
Asked if the government is open to a dialogue with UP to address its concerns, Roque left to Lorenzana to discuss the matter with the university officials. (Genalyn Kabiliing)
