Lorenzana open to dialogue with UP but with conditions

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana is open to a dialogue with the academic community of the University of the Philippines following the unilateral abrogation of the 1989 Department of National Defense (DND)-University of the Philippines (UP) Accord.

But the openness comes with a condition.

“Yes. I am open to a dialogue with them as long as they can explain the deaths of their students coming from all UP campuses and how they failed to protect them”.

The accord between DND and UP was signed by then UP President Jose Abueva and then DND Secretary Fidel V. Ramos on June 30, 1989.

Lorenzana added that his decision to unilaterally abrogate the accord was partly influenced by the grieving parents of the students who turned armed combatants of the communist New People’s Army (NPA).

“As a parent, I can imagine the pain their family has gone through ” Lorenzana added.

Last December 2020, before this controversial unilateral abrogation of the 1989 Accord, parents of slain students recruited into the NPA conducted a series of mass actions denouncing UP as allegedly the “recruitment ground” of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the NPA.

Other universities were also identified as alleged “recruitment” ground of the CPP-NPA.

Mary Mariveles told Radyo Inquirer On-Line, “Ang pagkakaalam ko, apat na taon ang anak konv aktibista lang pero nagulat ako nang makota ang video ng anak ko na nagsisigaw na NPA na siya” ( ” What I know is that my child is just an activist for four years. But after I saw the video, my child turned NPA”).

Frances Mariveles from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) has not contacted Mary until now and has gone missing.

Jacqueline Mendoza also joined the rallies, whose daughter Quenilyn, a student of PUP was also recruited to join the NPA.

” Isa po siya nga nasagasaab sa rally sa U.S. Embassy may ilang taon na rin ang nakalipas. Simula po noon, hindi ko na nakita ang anak ko” (” She was at the rally at the US Embassy. That was the last time we saw her”).

The parents of missing students believed to have joined the CPP-NPA have formed a group calling themselves the League of Parents of the Philippines.

Relissa Lucena, parent of Far Eastern University student AJ Lucena said her child was presented at the House of Representatives by the Makabayan Bloc.

“Gustong-gusto kong makita ang anak ko pero ibang tao na ang may hawak sa kanya,” (I wanted to see my child and it pains to see that other people are in control of AJ’s whereabouts), Relissa stressed.

Defenders of the 1989 Accord pointed out that it has no exit clause and it cannot be abrogated unilaterally.

Lorenzana in an interview said that the abrogation of the 1989 Accord was not against UP. Lorenzana countered, ” it’s actually to protect the students, the faculty, and the employees.”

/MUF