PNP backs ending DND deal with UP

January 19, 2021

The chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday expressed support for the termination of the 1989 agreement between the Department of Defense (DND) and University of the Philippines (UP).

In a statement, General Debold Sinas said the agreement between the DND and UP that limits police and military presence in all its campuses nationwide did not serve the best interest of public order and security in all 30 years that the accord was in effect.

“The PNP seeks to build stronger collaboration among stakeholders to protect campuses against criminal activities, drug syndicates, and shadowy organizations that promote and espouse local communist armed conflict against government thru force and violence,” he said.

“The PNP wishes to state that the termination of the agreement does not diminish our mandate to uphold the law at all times,” he added.

As UP students and professors cite the possible repeat of what happened during the martial law era in their campuses, Sinas assured that any abuse or criminal behavior committed by men in uniform will be dealt with.

According to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, the termination of the agreement was made because it is being used by the communist rebels to recruit UP students . 

"The agreement has become obsolete. The times and circumstances have changed since the agreement was signed in 1989, three years after the martial law ended.  The agreement was a gesture of courtesy accorded to UP upon the University’s request," said Lorenzana

  While the

UP administration is urging the secretary to revoke his decision, Lorenzana appealed for the university’s cooperation to protect its students from extremism and armed struggle.  

Due to the

incident, UP students and faculty members held a protest in the Diliman campus to denounce the DND’s decision.  

Photos posted online showed that the protesters were wearing face masks, face shields and physical distancing is being observed. Ella Dionisio/DMS