(Editor’s note: There had been changes made in this story to correct the flow of the statement regarding the agreement of UP with the DILG.)
MANILA, Philippines — The formation of a technical working group had been sought to discuss a separate agreement of the University of the Philippines (UP) with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) following recent events that led to the abrogation of a different accord of UP with the Department of National Defense (DND).
According to a statement from UP, school officials led by UP President Danilo Concepcion had a meeting with the DILG and the Philippine National Police (PNP) — a day after UP officials met with DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
“UP officials met today, 05 February, at the PNP National Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, with officials of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to discuss the 1992 agreement between UP and the DILG,” UP said in the statement posted on their website.
“The three parties declared their willingness to form a Technical Working Group (TWG) to study the 28-year-old agreement and, depending on the TWG’s findings and recommendations, to mutually decide whether to amend some of the provisions of the UP-DILG agreement, or to draft a new accord altogether,” it added.
Aside from Concepcion, DILG Undersecretary Bernardo Florece, and Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, the personalities who attended the meeting are:
- UP Vice President for Public Affairs Elena E. Pernia
- UP Diliman (UPD) Chancellor Fidel R. Nemenzo
- UPD Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs Aleli B. Bawagan
- UPD Public Safety and Security Office Director John S. Baroña
- Assistant Secretary for Peace and Order Manuel B. Felix.
- PNP Chief of Directorial Staff P/Lt. Gen. Joselito M. Vera Cruz,
- Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Director P/Brig. Gen. Danilo P. Macerin.
Furthermore, UP said that both DILG and PNP assured school authorities and the whole community that they would respect academic freedom and abide by the rule of law. During the meeting, DILG and PNP officials were also said to have presented their grievances and concerns with the terminated UP-DND deal.
“During the meeting, the DILG and the PNP affirmed their recognition of the value of academic freedom as well as peace and security in the University of the Philippines. The DILG then presented their list of concerns pertaining to provisions in the 1992 agreement, which included the need to review and update the agreement to present conditions,” UP said.
“The DILG assured UP that the review of the agreement will not in any way diminish basic rights and the freedom of speech and assembly in UP, which are protected and enshrined in the Constitution. For its part, UP agreed that a review is in order and they will present its own observations regarding the points raised by the DILG and PNP in subsequent meetings,” it noted.
Last January 15, Lorenzana sent a letter to Concepcion informing the latter that the UP-DND deal has been terminated, due to allegations that UP students were supposedly recruited into the communist armed movement, specifically the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
The accord, signed in 1989, basically disallows military presence inside UP campuses without notifying school authorities.
But while the Defense chief maintained that they were only out to protect the university from enemies of the state, people supportive of UP’s plight — students, alumni, professors, and academic freedom advocates — believe that it is merely a step to silence the critical community.
On Thursday, UP and DND conducted a separate meeting, set-up by Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) Chairperson and UP Board of Regents chair Prospero De Vera III.
According to a joint statement from the parties present at the Thursday meeting, the said dialogue opened opportunities for officials of each side to discuss lingering issues. All three also agreed to do more meetings in order to discuss the issues at hand.