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Robredo, lawmakers blast termination of UP-DND accord

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Jaehwa Bernardo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/01/19/20210119-up-dnd-accord-termination-protest-md-6245.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>Students hold a protest against the termination of the UP-DND accord prohibiting police and military from entering the UP campus at the Quezon Hall in Quezon City on January 19, 2021. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo and several lawmakers and progressive youth groups have condemned the Department of National Defense&#x27;s (DND) move to end its decades-old agreement with the University of the Philippines (UP) that prohibits uniformed personnel from entering UP campuses without notifying school officials.</p><p>Robredo, in a statement, said the termination of the 1989 UP-DND accord was clearly meant to silence government critics.</p><p>&quot;This is not a practical gesture, but a symbolic one. One designed to sow fear. One designed to discourage dissent. One designed to silence criticism,&quot; said opposition leader Robredo, noting how 5 previous presidents managed to protect both the UP community and the country without breaking the agreement.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/19/21/vp-robredo-unilateral-abrogation-of-dnd-up-accord-to-sow-fear">VP Robredo: Unilateral abrogation of DND-UP accord to &#x27;sow fear&#x27;</a></li></ul><p>Sen. Francis Pangilinan, who served as UP Student Council chair and student regent during his university days, also voiced his objection.</p><p>&quot;Tinutulan natin ang panghihimasok ng diktador noon (We opposed intervention of the dictator then). UP has always been and will always be a citadel of freedom and democracy,&quot; he said in a Twitter post.</p><p>In separate tweets, Pangilinan also stressed the historical significance of the 1981 Soto-Enrile agreement, a precursor of the 1989 Abueva-Ramos deal on restricting the entry of state forces in the university.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/01/19/21/explainer-what-is-the-1989-up-dnd-accord-on-campus-access-of-state-forces">EXPLAINER: What is the 1989 UP-DND accord on campus access of state forces?</a></li></ul><p>&quot;The agreement was forged when a synchronized nationwide student boycott was successfully organized but many student activists were arrested and jailed,&quot; Pangilinan said.</p><p>In condemning the termination, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago stressed the role of academic institutions in upholding human rights and democracy.</p><p>&quot;This brazen step signals intensified attacks on academic freedom and increasing violations of human rights of students, teachers and education stakeholders,&quot; said Elago, a UP alumna.</p><p>&quot;For education institutions to fulfill their significant role in upholding human rights and democracy, they must be protected from ruling regimes&#x27; undue pressures and dictates,&quot; she added.</p><p>For House Deputy Minority Leader Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, the cancellation of the agreement is a continuation of the Duterte administration&#x27;s &quot;crackdown&quot; against &quot;independent thinkers and those critical of its policies.&quot;</p><p>&quot;UP is known for its openness to ideas and debates as well as academic freedom, these are the ideals that the DND are trying to suppress by unilaterally abrogating the accord,&quot; he said.</p><p>ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro also said the move is &quot;an attempt to witchhunt red-tagged critics from the UP faculty and students.&quot;</p><p>Eyti Banico of the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines-UP Diliman chapter said the accord is needed now more than ever due to &quot;heightened red-tagging.&quot;</p><p>In late November, President Rodrigo Duterte claimed that UP was recruiting students for the communist insurgency, which the university administration denied.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/18/20/up-denies-rebel-recruitment-on-campuses">UP denies rebel recruitment on campuses</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/07/20/ph-govt-urged-to-criminalize-red-tagging">PH gov&#x27;t urged to criminalize red-tagging</a></li></ul><p>The College Editors Guild of the Philippines, the oldest alliance of tertiary student publications in the country, said the grounds to terminate the accord damage the integrity of UP, &quot;an institution that has produced generations of &#x27;iskolar ng bayan&#x27; ready to enter the crucible of service to the Filipino people.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/03/20/up-ranked-no-65-among-top-asian-universities">UP ranked No. 65 among top Asian universities</a></li></ul><p>The Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan noted that government decided to cancel the deal &quot;at a time when campus activities have been moved completely online.&quot;</p><p>On Friday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana notified UP President Danilo Concepcion through a letter that the DND was immediately terminating the 1989 agreement.</p><p>Lorenzana claimed that the university&#x27;s campuses have become a &quot;safe haven&quot; for communist rebels.</p><p>Concepcion has written back to Lorenzana, asking the defense chief to reconsider and revoke his decision.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/19/21/up-urges-dnd-to-reconsider-revoke-unilateral-abrogation-of-accord">UP urges DND to &#x27;reconsider, revoke&#x27; unilateral abrogation of accord</a></li></ul><div><strong>— With a report from Zandro Ochona, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2AsDkwF63Y8?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>Vice President Leni Robredo as well as several lawmakers and progressive youth groups have condemned the Department of National Defense's move to end its decades-old agreement with the University of the Philippines that prohibits uniformed personnel from entering UP campuses without notifying school officials.</p>

Vice President Leni Robredo as well as several lawmakers and progressive youth groups have condemned the Department of National Defense's move to end its decades-old agreement with the University of the Philippines that prohibits uniformed personnel from entering UP campuses without notifying school officials.

Robredo, lawmakers blast termination of UP-DND accord

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Robredo, lawmakers blast termination of UP-DND accord

Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 19, 2021 12:53 PM PHT

|

Updated January 19, 2021 02:51 PM PHT

Read More:

education

University of the Philippines

Department of National Defense

1989 UP-DND accord

1989 Abueva-Ramos accord

Leni Robredo

Kiko Pangilinan

Sarah Elago

France Castro

Carlos Isagani Zarate

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