UP students stage mass walkout vs creeping militarization

MANILA, Philippines — Amid calls for increased military and police presence inside tertiary institutions, hundreds of students, faculty and other members of the University of the Philippines community yesterday staged a walkout in different campuses nationwide.

The students walked out of their classes to protest what they described as a crackdown against activism and academic freedom.

At the university’s flagship campus in Diliman, Quezon City, a number of classes were cancelled as professors heeded the call of various student organizations seeking broader participation in the activity, officially dubbed the UP Day of Walkout and Action.

UP Diliman chancellor Michael Tan, as well as several college deans, officially endorsed the protest, which proceeded to Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila following the program at the historic Palma Hall steps inside the university.

Similar activities were also held at UP campuses in Manila, Baguio, Pampanga, Los Baños, Cebu, Iloilo, Tacloban and Mindanao.

“We, students and members of the university, stand united to oppose the concerted effort of state authorities to establish military presence in our schools,” read the unity statement of those who joined the walkout.

“We shall fight for our university to remain a zone of peace and a sanctuary for the oppressed and marginalized, where academic freedom thrives in the pursuit for genuine social change for the welfare of the Filipino people.”

Kenneth Ezer Jose, vice chair of the UP Diliman university student council, said the protest was triggered by the recent proposal of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to review an agreement prohibiting the presence of law enforcers inside UP campuses.

Jose said concerns over the increasing harassment of students, particularly activists, have been building up since the Duterte administration took office.

“With the proposed intervention of the police and military in state universities including the University of the Philippines, such act is expected to lead to mass surveillance and monitoring on the students, faculty members and officials, especially those who choose to take a stand and voice out the real state of our nation,” read the unity statement.

“Notably, the last time the police and military forced to take over the university, the entire community rose up to build the fortress of the Diliman Commune during the Marcos dictatorship,” it added, referring to the 1971 uprising during the martial law period.

Participants to the walkout maintained that UP is known as a bastion of critical thought and that its academic freedom led to the development of leading minds in and outside the nation. 

“It has enabled us to discover, understand and struggle to change social realities and fulfill our mandate to serve the people,” it added.

Bayan Muna Rep. Eufemia Cullamat, who led a contingent of lumad affected by alleged militarization in Mindanao, also expressed solidarity with the UP students.

Detained Sen. Leila de Lima sent a representative who read her message lauding the students for taking action against the Duterte administration.

Migrante International, a group of overseas Filipino workers, also expressed strong objection over government plans to deploy military and police in schools.

Migrante said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the PNP have launched a red scare and black propaganda campaign to denigrate student activists and progressive organizations.

The group described the Duterte administration as “a killing machine” apparently hell bent on piling more victims on a mountain of corpses.

Migrante urged the public to register their loudest dissent and condemn the ongoing atrocities.

On the other hand, PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said critics are overreacting with their allegations the government is attempting to militarize schools in the country.

Albayalde refuted these claims of critics, including activists, that the presence of police officers and soldiers in campuses is a form of militarization.

“This is misunderstood and a bit overreaction on the part of the militant groups. There is no militarization of campuses,” Albayalde said.

Albayalde stressed state security forces could not just enter campuses without coordination from university officials.

He admitted though that deploying police in schools is a way to prevent communist fronts from recruiting students to become militant leaders and armed rebels.

Albayalde said students are vulnerable to radicalization by left-leaning organizations.– With Mayen Jaymalin, Emmanuel Tupas