‘Military’ on UP campus alarms admin

THE ADMINISTRATION of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman on Thursday expressed concern over a military intrusion on campus without prior notice, a violation of a 1989 agreement between the university and the Department of National Defense (DND).

In a statement issued Thursday, UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan said the Special Services Brigade (SSB) noticed on Wednesday afternoon “suspicious activities involving six men” on board two vans near the College of Education and the Sunken Garden.

Upon being questioned by the SSB and the UP Diliman Police, one of the men introduced himself as an officer of the Armed Forces and refused to give more information.

“Our concern is that there has been a violation of a provision in the agreement between the university and the DND requiring prior notification of the university of any military operations on any of our campuses,” Tan said.

“No such request was received by UP Diliman,” he added.

The six men were turned over by UP policemen to the Anonas police station where one of them was identified as 1Lt. Fidorf Cimatu, an Army man assigned to the Intelligence Security Group.

Incidentally, the military intrusion happened ahead of the planned camp-out on UP grounds of some 700 Lumad from Mindanao from Oct. 26–31 as part of Manilakbayan 2015.

Arleen Perez, spokesperson of the Save Our Schools-Manilakbayan, said the military presence was a scare tactic of state forces.

Manilakbayan aims to highlight the militarization in Mindanao, call for an end to violence against the Lumad community and push for the pullout of soldiers from communities, especially in schools.