Senators voice out their dismay on the unilateral termination of the 1989 accord between the University of the Philippines (UP) and the Department of National Defense (DND).
Seven senators signed the Proposed Senate Resolution (PSR) No. 616, which calls for “expressing the sense of the Senate to oppose the unilateral termination of the [agreement].”
The resolution also proposes that UP and DND should “find common ground that promotes peace and security, and protects academic freedom and the pursuit of excellence.”
Led by Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, fellow UP graduates and Senators Franklin Drilon, Nancy Binay, and Ralph Recto also opposed the move.
Senators Risa Hontiveros, Leila De Lima, and Joel Villanueva also co-authored the resolution.
Additionally, Senators Sonny Angara, Pia Cayetano, Richard Gordon, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Cynthia Villar, and Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri did not join the call despite being former UP students.
Angara, who did not take part in the resolution, expressed his thoughts on the issue through a statement:
“Ano mang isyu o problema na nakikita ng ating mga awtoridad sa kasunduan ay maaari naman na pag-usapan ng kalmado at sa konstruktibong pamamaraan,” Angara wrote.
“Just like any other legal agreement, prior consultation is required before any decision to amend or in this case, terminate is implemented,” he added.
“We appeal to our good Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to reconsider his decision and sit down with the officials of UP to come up with solutions to ensuring peace and security in our nation, which I am sure is an aspiration shared by both sides,” he urged.
Meanwhile, former cop and Senator Bato Dela Rosa echoed the call of DND.
“It is long overdue. The government was fooled by the CPP/NPA/NDF in the last 31 years through that agreement,” said Dela Rosa.
“There’s sense in the move taken by the President and Secretary Lorenzana because during our red-tagging hearings in the Senate, it was established that not only UP in particular, other universities, talagang ‘yung recruitment nanggagaling doon sa mga estudyante up to the point they were being killed in encounters,” he explained in an interview.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, on the other hand, said that limits should be set upon the effectivity of the termination.
“We don’t know how they (state forces) will implement once terminated or how deep will they infiltrate the UP campuses all over the country,” he said.
“But if it is designed to muzzle the academic and other freedoms being enjoyed by UP in general, you can describe it as that – overstepping,” he added.