THE Department of National Defense and the University of the Philippines failed to reach a new agreement that would lay the ‘ground rules’ for the presence of military personnel inside the campuses of the state-owned university.
Pinoy Exposé learned that last February 4, 2021, DND secretary, Delfin Lorenzana, and UP president, Danilo Concepcion, held a “breakfast meeting” at the Veteran’s Golf Club, Quezon City, brokered by CHED (Commission on Higher Education) chairperson, Prospero de Vera III.
The meeting between the two parties had become imperative after Secretary Lorenzana, decided last January 15, 2021, to finally terminate the ‘UP-DND Agreement’ signed in 1989, which prohibits the entry of police and military personnel inside all UP campuses without the prior knowledge and consent of the UP administration.
The defense chief noted that the agreement has become ‘passé’ over time.
State security officials also noted that the agreement has even become a hindrance for the police and the military in checking on the subversive activities and systematic recruitment of students and faculty members being undertaken by terrorist groups, particularly the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
Both terrorist group have been waging a 5-decades old “armed struggle” in their effort to bring down the government and establish a ‘communist Philippines.’
Concepcion, who had expressed his disappointment over the accord’s termination, is under intense pressure from CPP-controlled student and faculty organizations at the UP and elsewhere, including lawmakers wholly ignorant of the stakes involved, to reinstate the agreement, using ‘academic freedom’ as the main excuse.
But the 3-paragraph statement he and Lorenzana signed, together with De Vera, and issued after the meeting, did not reveal they are about ready to sign a new agreement.
On the other hand, the statement merely noted that the “dialogue afforded the key leaders the opportunity to discuss the way forward…”
The meeting also opened “possible areas of cooperation” on how both the DND and UP “can promote their mutual aspirations to ensure a safe and secure environment conducive to learning,” the statement said. Both parties also agreed to hold another series of meetings “to continue the dialogue.”
Concepcion willing to drop separate accord with DILG
In a separate meeting that Concepcion, together with other UP officials, held with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) also last week, he agreed “to come up with another one that will reflect what is happening on the ground.”
Concepcion was referring to a separate agreement that UP signed with the DILG in 1992, the tone of which is similar to the discarded agreement with the DND.
The university sought the agreement with the passage in 1990 of RA 6975, which created the Philippine National Police (PNP) by merging the Philippine Constabulary and the Integrated National Police (PC-INP) under one national police organization.
The creation of the PNP effectively nullified the provision in the UP-DND Agreement of 1989 that also disallow the police (PC-INP) from entering the campuses of UP without prior knowledge and consent of university officials.
In a statement dated February 6, 2021, right after the meeting, the DILG said its talk with Concepcion and UP Diliman, chancellor, Fidel Nemenzo, took place inside Camp Crame, and attended by undersecretary and officer-in-charge (OIC) Bernardo Florece, DILG spokesman, undersecretary Jonathan Malaya and assistant secretary Manny Felix on behalf of the national government.
“The meeting with UP officials was a welcome development because both parties agreed that there is a need to review the 1992 Agreement to update it to present times.
“Our meeting with UP officials led by President Danilo L. Concepcion and UP Diliman Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo is a good start since both sides agree that both our agencies only have the best interests of the UP community in mind.
“Kami po sa DILG ay lubhang nagagalak sa development na ito,” Florece said.
By way of crafting a new agreement, both sides agreed to the creation of a ‘Technical Working Group’ (TWG), composed of representatives of both parties.
“The TWG will undertake the review of the agreement and recommend whether to simply amend the 1992 agreement or come up with an entirely new agreement,” the DILG said.
“UP and DILG have a common purpose which is to the peace and security of all UP campuses. These propositions are not placed to put a wall between us but to unite both our organizations to achieve our common goals,” Florece pointed out further.
For his part, Concepcion replied: “We would like to make it of record that UP is committed to honor and enforce the Accord. If the Accord needs to be updated, we are prepared to sit down with the DILG and PNP to dialogue and to come up with another one that will reflect what is happening on the ground.
“Maraming salamat sa DILG at PNP at asahan ninyo ang aming pakikipagtulungan para lahat po ng issues ay ating malapatan ng lunas,” the UP official added further.
Aside from the above officials, also present during the meeting are:
PLtGen Joselito Veracruz, on behalf of CPNP Debold Sinas; Quezon City police director, PBGen Danilo Macerin; UP vice president Elena Pernia; UP Diliman Vice Chancellor Aleli Bawagan; and, Dir. John S. Baroña.