House panel OKs bill instituting 1989 UP-DND pact

MANILA, Philippines—A House panel on Wednesday (June 2) approved a substitute bill that seeks to enact into law the abrogated 1989 agreement which prohibits the uncoordinated entry of state forces in University of the Philippines campuses.

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Higher and Technical Education on Wednesday passed the measure, which consolidates House Bill Nos. 8437, 8514, and 8545.

These sought to make the scrapped agreement part of the UP Charter of 2008.

A section of the bill states that government forces can enter UP campuses only in times of emergency. But when the request for entry is granted, only state forces in proper uniform and with proper identification shall be allowed to enter.

Search warrants cannot also be served on any student, faculty or employee without coordination with university officials.

The agreement between the UP and Department of National Defense, signed in 1989, was designed to prevent police or military from targeting student or teacher activists for their political beliefs.

The DND unilaterally terminated the accord with UP last January, a move that shocked some politicians and UP alumni.

Norman Daanoy, DND legal and administrative affairs chief, said the accord has constitutional infirmities, but lawyer Theodore Te, who represented UP President Danilo Concepcion, said he believed there was none.

Representatives Rufus Rodriguez and Mark Go agreed with Te.

A similar measure filed in the Senate remained pending.

TSB