Mahalaga umanong magkaroon ng panibagong kasunduan ang University of The Philippines (UP) at security sector bunga ng pagkakapawalambisa sa kasunduan noong 1989 na nagbabawal sa pagpasok ng pulis at militar sa unibersidad nang walang coordination.
Ayon kay Senador Panfilo Lacson, chairman ng Senate Committee on National Defense, kailangang mapapanatili ang academic freedom sa loob ng “State U.”
“Once the pact is terminated, what will the security sector do? We don’t know that yet. Probably they could come to an agreement that there are boundaries to be observed,” wika ni Lacson.
Habang walang kasunduan, posible aniya na maituring na lumalagpas ang security sector sa hangganan ng puwede nilang gawin o ipatupad sa UP.
“If it is designed to muzzle the academic and other freedoms being enjoyed by UP in general, you can describe it as that – overstepping,” banggit ng mambabatas.
Naungkat ang usapin ng academic freedom sa loob ng UP kasunod ng pagtapos ng Department of National Defense (DND) sa naturang kasunduan na nilagdaan 31 taon na ang nakakaraan.
Ayon sa DND, naglutangan ang impormasyon na nakakapanghikayat ng miyembro mula sa loob ng unibersidad ang New People’s Army (NPA).
Sa pagdinig ng Senado sa red-tagging, napuna rin ni Lacson na bukod sa UP, nakakahikayat din ng miyembro mula sa ibang unibersidad ang NPA, kung saan, may mga pagkakataong namamatay pa ang mga ito sa pakikipagengkuwentro sa militar.
“To join the militant organizations, that’s fine. You can protest all you want. But when you bear arms against government and you are very young, you are vulnerable, you are easily radicalized, and the hotbed of recruitment would be UP, PUP and other universities, then I think the security sector has studied all the factors involved before they acted on the matter,” ayon pa kay Lacson.
Kilala ang UP sa pagiging aktibo sa usaping pulitikal sa bansa at pagkakaroon ng sariling kultura kaya maaring tamaan umano ng hakbang ng pamahalaan ang umiiral na academic freedom sa loob nito.
“Definitely it will affect the culture because UP is known to be independent and they are involved in so many political issues. They enjoy so much freedom. And then all of a sudden you take it away from them, that really hurts. Definitely there will be outcry, protests and disagreements. Let’s see how it shapes up in the future,” banggit pa ng senador.
Para naman kay Sen. Sonny Angara, dapat ding tingnan ang ibang isyu kaysa sa pagkansela na lamang bigla ng kasunduan sa pagitan ng UP at ng Defense department.
Ayon kay Angara, hindi maisasantabi na ilan sa magagaling at marurunong sa bansa ay nagmula sa UP, at malaking parte ng paghubog sa kanilang talino ay may kinalaman sa “academic freedom” ng unibersidad.
“UP has produced some of the best and brightest minds in our country’s history and there is no doubt that the academic freedom enjoyed by the State University played no small part in this,” wika ni Angara.
Sa panig naman ni Sen. Leila de Lima, ang naturang pagkalas sa kasunduan ay pagpapakita lamang ng puwersa para mapasunod ang lahat sa mga nais ng administrasyon.
“This abrogation is a message to the UP Community that the Duterte administration is now taking its brand of fascism inside the campuses whenever they please. It is a warning to students, professors and staff not to speak ill of the wannabe dictator in Malacañang, lest they be branded enemies of the State,” pahayag pa ni De Lima.
Hindi naman naitago ni Sen. Risa Hontiveros ang pagkadismaya sa gobyerno sa unilateral termination ng UP-DND Accord.
“I denounce the unilateral termination of the longstanding UP-DND Accord. Kung desidido ang administrasyon maghanap ng komunista, pagdiskitahan nila yung mga komunistang lantarang nanghihimasok sa West Philippine Sea.
Needlessly propping up the “communist bogeyman” has always been an obscene vanity project and an excuse for their red tagging and disregard for basic human rights. The University of the Philippines is a bastion of student activism and its grounds must continue to be a safe space for dissent and peaceful assembly,” saad ni Hontiveros.
Pero para kay Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana, obsolete na ang kasunduan dahil sa ilang isyu na hindi na angkop sa kasalukuyang sitwasyon.
“The agreement has become obsolete. The times and circumstances have changed since the agreement was signed in 1989, three years after the martial law ended. The agreement was a gesture of courtesy accorded to UP upon the University’s request,” pahayag ni Lorenzana.
