THE House of Representatives heeded the call of House Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Cavite 7th district representative, Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ Remulla, to recall and put into the dustbin of history, HB 10171, or the ‘UP Security Act’ that seeks to revive the University of the Philippines (UP) system as a haven for terrorist recruitment and agitation by the front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
It can be recalled that HB 10171 was quietly passed by Congress last September 21, 2021, thru the sponsorship of the members of the Makabayan Bloc, which represents all the front organizations of the CPP in Congress.
Its passage immediately alarmed the national security cluster and other patriotic members of Congress who described its passage as “deceitful” and “done in the middle of the night” as it was “smuggled” in the House plenary while the chamber was focused in the approval of the 2022 national budget.
“Kapag budget na kasi ang pinag-uusapan, sabay-sabay ang hearings niyan eh sa iba-ibang hearing rooms at pagdating ng session, parang pagod na lahat.
“So kapag magsisimula na ang plenary, abalang-abala lahat kung paano ginagawa ang mga budget.
“Minsan iyong floor, may nangyayari na hindi dapat at ito nga ang sitwasyon naman dito,” Remulla explained during the virtual press conference held by the NTF-ELCAC last October 4, 2021.
During the plenary last September 30, 2021, Remulla entered a motion for “corrective action” by rescinding the approval of HB 10171, which was immediately adopted.
To ensure that there would be no room for further dispute, Remulla proffered two motions, one for himself as Cavite representative and another on behalf of the majority.
With the motions adopted, Remulla explained that based on the rules of Congress, the 179 House members whom the Makabayan Bloc had touted as having supported HB 10171, are also deemed to have supported the motion for its recall.
In appealing to his colleagues, Remulla reminded them that the UP-DND 1989 accord is an “executive agreement” that should be best left alone to the discretion of the executive branch.
Remulla further explained that the fate of HB 10171 would now be decided by the Committee on Rules where he is co-chairman.
“Kami [House Rules Committee] na ngayon ang magsasabi kung iyan ay mabubuhay pa o palulusutin pa rin namin,” Remulla said.
Mainly, HB 10171 seeks to “institutionalize” the 1989 agreement between the state university and the Department of National Defense (DND) that prohibits the entry in all UP campuses of members of the police and the military without prior approval from the UP management.
DND secretary, Delfin Lorenzana last January 15, 2021, decided to unilaterally revoke the agreement, noting it has been used by the CPP and its front organizations as a shield for its subversive and recruitment activities and in radicalizing the students to take up arms against the government.
The defense chief also described the accord as “obsolete.”
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) decried the approval of HB 10171, warning it would again make the campuses of the country’s premier state university into a “haven for criminal and terrorists.”
Remulla also called on other groups outside of Congress to work for the disqualification of the partylists under the Makabayan Bloc in the 2022 elections, of which at least two, against Gabriela and Kabataan, are now pending before the Commission on Elections.