UP President: Gov’t officials like Abad should be treated with respect

MANILA, Philippines—University of the Philippines President Alfredo E. Pascual denounced Monday the mobbing of Budget Secretary Florencio Abad in UP Diliman last September 17, saying that Abad should be accorded with respect and courtesy due to all guests of the university.

Pascual said that UP does not condone violence in any form.

“ While UP constituents are free to actively express their views on issues that affect our nation, such as the proper use of public funds, UP does not condone the use of violence in any manner against any person, be it a member of the university community, a visitor, or a government official,” Pascual said in a statement.

He said that although UP should lead the debate on national issues, he maintained that “abusive words and deeds have no place in the hallowed grounds of the University.”

“UP must also uphold the time-honored tradition of dissent vis-a-vis questionable government policies. But debate and dissent, while articulated with passion, require evidence-based and reasoned arguments, and civility to and respect for those who hold the opposite view,” Pascual added.

He said that a probe on the incident is underway and the UP administration is looking on the participation of outsiders on the said protest.

Abad attended a forum in the UP School of Economics Wednesday to discuss the proposed UP budget when he was mobbed by a group of protesters as he left the building. The protesters from Stand UP (Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP) called Abad a thief and threw pieces of paper, placards and coins. They protested the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), which was recently ruled unconstitutional in some parts by the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, professors and students from the UP School of Economics decried the incident as an “act of hooliganism” and demanded a public apology from the protesters.

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