President Rodrigo Duterte backed up Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s suggestion to terminate the 1989-UP-DND Accord in order for state forces to conduct surveillance on University of the Philippines’ grounds.
According to Lorenzana, there have allegedly been “incidents” where that UP students were recruited by the New People’s Army (NPA), turning them into “enemies of the state”.
Celebrities and netizens disagreed with the government’s decision to violate the agreement.
Wife of the late rapper legend Francis Magalona, Pia Magalona, detested Lorenzana’s tweet regarding the comparison of the university to that of a Korean border where the military are not allowed to enter unless given permission. The tweet also garnered criticism from other netizens as the Defense secretary cites the Korean series Crash Landing On You over the termination of UP-DND Accord.
She answered through a tweet that the Defense secretary would not understand that they are invading the academic freedom of a state university.
It’s a UP thing you wouldn’t understand. But to clown around as such is unbecoming of a supposed bemedalled military man.
I’m not from UP either, but surrounded by family members from there, so I get their spirit. #DefendUP https://t.co/07sPMSIbn4
— Pia Magalona ⁷ (@piamagalona) January 19, 2021
Agot Isidro condemned the action of the government as she posted a number of tweets telling the administration to keep out of the university.
Meanwhile, the daughter of Sharon Cuneta, Frankie Pangilinan pointed out that the government’s red-tagging tactic on students showed how insecure the Duterte administration has become. Like many celebrities, she also called on Filipinos to protect academic freedom as well as UP students.
red-tagging students just proves how insecure and threatened this administration has become. protect our students. defend our rights. be brave.
— kakie (@kakiep83) January 18, 2021
For actor Richard Juan, it is just to distract Filipinos regarding other pressing matters.
Ito nanaman, may bagong distraction na naman tayo.
Yung timing talaga eh. #DefendUP— 范鴻志 RICHARD JUAN 홍준 (@richardjuan) January 18, 2021
With Filipinos rising up, especially UP students who are vocal about this administration’s leadership, actor Enchong Dee thinks that the government is afraid of a revolution and are trying to suppress it by red-tagging and blaming the students of UP.
https://twitter.com/enchongdee777/status/1351421846013399040
Renowned writer Jerry B. Grácio even urged students to conduct a national boycott to stop the assault on students and academic freedom.
Students should declare a national boycott, not just in UP but in all schools and universities. This assault on students & academic freedom should stop, now.
— Jerry B. Grácio (@JerryGracio) January 18, 2021
Now a Kapamilya, actress Janine Gutierrez also showed her support for the university as she posted a tweet with the hashtag #DefendUP. Actor Juan Miguel Severo also joined the call to protect the university against the government.
— nini (@janinegutierrez) January 18, 2021
https://twitter.com/TheRainBro/status/1351144155024601088
For Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, the termination of the UP-DND Accord would only result in insurgency, same with the Marcos Regime. He also stressed that using military force is not the best option for this kind of problem.
Leave the UP students alone! These are the kinds of acts that worsened the insurgency problem during the Marcos regime. We should have learned by now that purely military actions will not solve this very complicated problem. #DefendUP
— Sonny Trillanes IV (@TrillanesSonny) January 18, 2021
For Kevin Manalo, their presence alone in the university’s premises would cause unrest to the students and faculty, creating a restriction on their rights.
Anong gagawin ng mga sundalo sa loob ng campus? Iisa-isahin ang mga tao? Mamatyagan habang nagaaral? Pakikinggan ang mga group meeting? Labas-masok sa mga gusali habang dala ang baril?#DefendUP #DefendAcademicFreedom
— Kevin Manalo (@kevinmanalo_) January 19, 2021
Meanwhile, Francis Baraan IV noted that the university is not where communists and terrorists are born. The Duterte administration is the real culprit.
UP is not a breeding ground for Communists. This regime is the actual breeding ground for real terrorists.
— Francis Baraan IV (@MrFrankBaraan) January 19, 2021
Department of National Defense terminates accord with UP
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Monday, January 18, wrote a letter addressing UP President Danilo Concepcion that the accord has been terminated on January 15, per a report by UP’s student paper, The Philippine Collegian.
JUST IN: In a letter addressed to UP Pres. Danilo Concepcion, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana says the UP-DND Accord, an agreement that keeps state forces from entering the premises of the University, is terminated effective January 15. #DefendUP pic.twitter.com/1EGyaJDwSY
— Philippine Collegian (@phkule) January 18, 2021
In the letter, Lorenzana did not mention any evidence supporting his claim that the university is a recruitment ground for communists. He instead stated the National Defense Department is “aware that there is indeed an ongoing clandestine recruitment” inside UP’s premises and that the accord is preventing the government from acting regarding this matter.
Moreover, he also stated in the letter that the state forces have no plans to put police stations nor military inside UP.
However, some members of the UP community have been accused of being a member of the communist grouped or have been “red-tagged”, which endangers the lives of human rights advocates and government critics.
UP-DND Accord
The UP-DND Accord succeeded the 1982 Soto-Enrile accord, which was “borne out of the struggle against the Marcos dictatorship.” It was an agreement that was signed on June 30, 1989 by then-UP president Jose Abueva and then-defense chief Fidel V. Ramos. It laid down the guidelines on how military and police forces can operate inside the university’s premises.
The Accord includes:
- Prior notification shall be given to the UP administration by the military or police before they could conduct any operations inside the UP campuses;
- Except in “cases of hot pursuit and similar occasions of emergency,” no military or police shall enter the premises of the UP campuses;
- When the UP administration asks for security assistance from the troops, only uniformed personnel of the military and police can enter the campus premises;
- Members of the military and police “shall not interfere with peaceful protest actions” by the UP community in their campus;
- The service of search warrants to any UP student, faculty, employee, or invited participant in any UP activity shall as far as predictable be done after prior notification to the UP President, or Chancellor of the campus, or the Dean of the regional unit;
- The arrest or detention of any student, faculty, or employee anywhere in the Philippines, shall be reported immediately to the UP administration. No members of the UP community shall be subjected to custodial investigation without prior notice of the university administration;
- A joint monitoring group composed of the UP Faculty Regent, UP Student Regent, UP administration officials, and officials from the military and police shall meet twice a year to determine compliance [with] the agreement and;
- Nothing in the agreement “shall be construed as a prohibition against the enforcement of the laws of the land.”
This means that before state forces could only conduct their operations inside UP, they should notify first the UP administration except on situations as mentioned in the agreement. It also serves as a safeguard for the students to prevent these forces to issue any search warrants on any UP student, faculty, employee, or invited participant in any UP activity, which also prevents the police or military to apprehend or detain them without giving notice to the university admin beforehand.
