MANILA, Philippines — The University of the Philippines yesterday reiterated that it does not recruit for communist groups as alleged by President Duterte and his supporters.
“The University of the Philippines is an educational institution. The University’s core mission is knowledge and innovation creation, production, and dissemination, using various approaches of knowledge transfer,” read the statement released by the office of the university’s vice president for public affairs Elena Pernia.
“UP does not recruit for the communists as this is not its mission,” it added.
UP stressed that the institution has played a critical role in training professionals, high-level specialists, scientists and researchers who are needed by the country to generate new knowledge in support of development needs and goals.
It said the university alumni are present in all branches of government, including in the executive where some Cabinet members are former or current professors.
“With its critical mass of experts in a comprehensive range of disciplines, UP has contributed much in terms of research and technologies,” said the university, citing various projects to help in pandemic response, including the conduct of clinical trials and the development of test kits and mobile applications.
“The University of the Philippines values academic freedom — the freedom to think, to speak, to study, to teach, and even the freedom to disagree. UP encourages critical thinking which, at times, may manifest as an attitude of dissidence and anti-authoritarianism,” it added.
This however does not mean that the university is anti-government, said UP, citing its mandate as the national university.
“Its community of scholars is dedicated to the nation’s quest for development. And so, UP will continue to lead as a public service university by providing service to the nation including scholarly and technical assistance to the government, the private sector and civil society,” it added.
During his televised address on Tuesday, Duterte was apparently piqued at UP and threatened to cut its fund following reports of students calling for an academic strike.
“Stop schooling. That will save money for your parents. Better make use of your time anywhere. Those schools (like) UP? Fine. Stop studying. I will stop the funding. You don’t do anything but recruit communists anyway,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque later admitted that the President might have confused the proponents of the strike, which were actually students of Ateneo de Manila University.
Hundreds of Ateneo students previously pledged to withhold the submission of their academic requirements in protest of the government’s failure to adequately respond to recent disasters.
While student groups in UP have also been critical of the government’s response to disasters, the primary focus of the campaigns launched over the past week was to call for the end of the semester.
Hundreds of faculty members also signed a petition calling on the university administration to end the semester as many students are being left behind due to the pandemic and the recent disasters.
Commission on Higher Education J. Prospero De Vera III – himself a former official of the university – rejected the call and said that higher education institutions can extend the semester if there is a need for a period of recovery. — Cecille Suerte Felipe