MANILA – Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa said on Wednesday the move to terminate the 31-year old agreement between the University of the Philippines (UP) and Department of National Defense (DND) is “long overdue”.
“Considering the deceit and undesirable activities of the leftist groups within the university throughout its implementation, this move is actually long overdue,” dela Rosa shared in a statement.
Dela Rosa, who chairs the Senate committee on justice and human rights, also echoed the words of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana that the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) have been “fooling the government forces using the 1989 agreement”.
No military, police stations in campuses
Meanwhile, dela Rosa clarified that he will push for the installation of police and military stations inside UP campuses even if the accord is no longer effective.
He said a “fair opportunity” for the government and leftist groups is what should be observed instead.
“I am not pushing for that. Baka sabihin na naman nila na the mere sight of a police or soldier inside the campus is a curtailment of their academic freedom. No, hindi yan! Hindi yan ang ibig kong sabihin. Ang ibig sabihin natin is that sana kung ang CPP-NPA ay libreng-libre na mag-recruit ng mga estudyante ng UP para sumali doon sa NPA sa bundok, sana ang Armed Forces at ang pulis pwede rin mag-recruit ng mga taga doon sa UP na sumali sa kasundaluhan o sa kapulisan. Para equal opportunity, di ba? Pagbigyan natin (They might probably make remarks again that the mere sight of a police or soldier inside the campus is a curtailment of their academic freedom. No, that is not the case. What I want to say is if the CPP-NPA freely recruits students in UP to join the NPA, then the AFP and PNP should be given the same privilege. The authorities should also be allowed to recruit students to join the government forces),” dela Rosa explained in a press interview.
Dela Rosa also acknowledged that not all UP students are pro-left.
“Hindi naman lahat sa UP ay makakaliwa. Baka pwede rin naman kami mapagbigyan na makapag-recruit din para sa gobyerno natin, dahil nga UP is a government institution. Bakit pagbawalan mo yung government na pumasok diyan? (Not everyone in UP is pro-left. Maybe the government should also be allowed to perform its recruitment activities there, after all UP is a government institution too. Why shall it prohibit the government forces from entering its premises?),” he added. (PNA)
