(FILE) UP Diliman campus./NOY MORCOSO / INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Former House Speaker and Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano on Saturday called for a dialogue between the University of the Philippines (UP) and the Department of National Defense (DND) on the 1989 accord that barred military and police presence inside UP campuses.
“Sana magkaroon sila ng dialogue na open at hindi in conflict ang gusto ng UP at gusto ng militar. Hindi po in conflict kasi ‘yung sitwasyon 30 years ago n’ung ginawa ‘yung agreement na ‘yun iba na ngayon eh. Kaya lang dahil sa kulang ang pag-uusap eh umiinit ang ulo, hindi nagkakaroon ng pagkakaintindihan sa issues,” said Cayetano in an ambush interview with reporters.
(They should have an open dialogue that would not conflict with what UP wants and what the military wants. There should be no conflict because the situation 30 years ago when the agreement was made and the situation now are different. However, because of the lack of dialogue, there are unresolved issues.)
Cayetano added that he supports the military’s counterinsurgency measures but also backed the academic freedom of the state university.
“We support the side of AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] they need to deal with local terrorism, but we also support ‘yung concerns ng estudyante na ‘yung utmost fear ng lahat ng university sa buong bansa ay ‘yung academic freedom at hindi ka takot mag-aral, magtuligsa, hindi kayo takot na mag-discuss,” he added.
(We also support the students’ concerns that the utmost fear of all universities in the country is academic freedom, that they will not be scared to study, to criticize, and to discuss.)
UP President Danilo Concepcion said the accord’s termination is unnecessary and unwarranted as it may lead to “mistrust.”