Facade of the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame. Image from pnp.gov.ph website
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday assured the public that there will be no warrantless arrests against University of the Philippines (UP) students despite the termination of the 1989 accord, which prevents military and police from entering UP campuses without prior approval from university officials.
“Wala naman pong karapatan ang pulis mag-aresto kapag walang warrant po. Siguro balik tayo sa usapin ng batas, sa rule of law, iyon pa rin ho ang magiging batayan,” PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Ildebrandi Usana said over ABS-CBN Teleradyo, when asked about fears that there will be warrantless arrests after the Department of National Defense (DND) ended the 1989 agreement with UP.
(Police officers have no right to arrest without warrant. We go back to the rule of law, that will be our basis for the arrest.)
“Only after the court issues these warrant of arrest, saka lang natin masasagawa itong mga bagay pero until then nananatili pa rin iyong sinasabing academic freedom sa University of the Philippines,” he added.
(Only after the court issues these warrants of arrest, then we will make arrests but until then, academic freedom still remains in UP.)
On Monday, the DND announced the abrogation of its agreement with the state university, saying the accord hinders state security forces from conducting counterinsurgency operations inside the campuses.
Even before the accord was terminated, Cebu City police were accused of violating the DND-UP agreement after they arrested over seven anti-terror law protesters in front of UP Cebu.
Cebu lawmen already denied that it violated the accord, saying it was conducting hot pursuit against the protesters who allegedly breached quarantine protocols.