PNP, UPLB agree on cooperation

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) have agreed in principle to foster better cooperation and understanding of peace and order and security issues on campus.

PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas said the agreement was reached last Thursday in a meeting among officials led by UPLB chancellor Jose Camacho Jr. and Laguna police director Col. Serafin Petalio II.

Sinas said the meeting addressed, among others issues, campus security as well as peace and order concerns outside UPLB premises.

They also agreed to hold quarterly coordinating meetings or emergency meetings when necessary.

Police officials assured UPLB representatives they only want to protect students and faculty members from criminal activities, drug rings and Left-leaning groups that espouse violence against the government.

Seminars on investigation and arrest techniques and symposia on drug awareness for the UPLB community were also offered by Petalio.

For their part, the UPLB panel assured the local police of continuing support for their mobile capability.

Sinas issued a statement of assurance, saying: “Academic freedom remains constitutionally guaranteed as we are also mandated by law to protect the future of our nation from danger posed by lawless elements.”

Meanwhile, militant youth group Kabataan has slammed Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chair Prospero de Vera for his plan to define “academic freedom.”?

In a statement issued yesterday, the party-list group criticized De Vera’s move as “highly out-of-touch and defeatist – a curtailment of rights!”?“CHED’s proposal to define academic freedom and the role of the security sector does not help protect academic freedom; it would only limit it. This is neither the mandate nor the right of CHED,” Kabataan said.

What the group said it expected of the CHED chair is to “stand with the students, teachers and institutions that are under attack and protect them from forces that aim to sow fear and silence critical thinking.”?

Kabataan said academic freedom “has already been sufficiently defined and discussed by our laws and jurisprudence” so there is no need to define it.?

It cited an opinion by Far Eastern University law dean Mel Sta. Maria, who said that “even the Supreme Court did not make any specific definition, but only enumerated four pillars so that academic freedom will truly be expansive and free.”?

“For the government to make a definition will surely create some measure of ‘straightjacketing’ academic freedom. If it happens, I dread the day when the CHED, on the pretext of ‘security’ reasons, will give outlines or syllabus to teachers for them to teach our students. The beginning of indoctrination,” the group said, quoting Sta. Maria.?

The group also cited Article XIV, Section 5 (2) of the Constitution, which provides that “academic freedom shall be enjoyed in all institutions of higher learning.” – Edu Punay