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UP willing to listen, discuss DND concerns after troop access pact termination- university official

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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/01/27/20210126-up-dnd-accord-presscon-jc-31.jpg"/><figcaption>Students and professors hold a symbolic protest inside UP Diliman in Quezon City on Jan. 26, 2021. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - The University of the Philippines is willing to listen and discuss concerns of the Department of National Defense amid allegations it had become a breeding ground for communist rebels, a university official said Wednesday, following the termination of an agreement restricting access of state troops to campus grounds.</p><p>Elena Pernia, UP vice president for public affairs, said they welcome Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana&#x27;s plan of holding a dialogue with the state university after its unilateral abrogation of the 1989 accord.</p><p>&quot;Our position is a reconsideration of it (the termination). That&#x27;s where we stand. That&#x27;s what we&#x27;re asking for. Together with that one, we are asking for a discussion of the concerns and the issues that they have raised in the media,&quot; she told ANC.</p><p>No date has been set yet for the dialogue, but Pernia said:&quot;We are really hoping that it occurs soon.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/24/21/defense-chief-to-meet-up-president-over-accord-abrogation">Defense chief asks for meeting with UP President over accord abrogation</a></li></ul><p>Pernia said they want to keep the pact, which &quot;has worked very well for the past 30 years.&quot; The agreement prohibits military and police forces to operate inside any UP campus without prior notice.</p><p>Should the accord be formally abrogated, she expressed concern on possible surveillance operations by the military inside campus, which she said is antithetical to academic freedom.</p><p>&quot;Academic freedom means you have discussions, are allowed on various positions without fear somebody is listening and there is consequence to these discussions. That&#x27;s what we are concerned about,&quot; Pernia said.</p><p>&quot;Without academic freedom, what good is a university? How can learning proceed? Academic freedom is a value and a principle without which higher educational institutions like the University of the Philippines could not flourish.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/18/21/dnd-terminates-agreement-with-up-on-entry-of-cops-soldiers-in-campuses">DND terminates agreement with UP on entry of cops, soldiers in campuses</a></li></ul><p>On Jan 15, the defense chief unilaterally junked the 1989 accord over allegations UP had become &quot;a safe haven for enemies of the state.&quot;</p><p>UP denied this and urged the DND to reconsider its decision.</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/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>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VPbLV1vdWas?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>The University of the Philippines is willing to listen and discuss the concerns of the Department of National Defense amid allegations it had become a breeding ground for communist rebels, a university official said Wednesday.</p>

The University of the Philippines is willing to listen and discuss the concerns of the Department of National Defense amid allegations it had become a breeding ground for communist rebels, a university official said Wednesday.