UP Student Council condemns arrests at UP-PGH

The University of the Philippines University Student Council (USC) yesterday condemned the arrest and detention of five persons, including two UP students, during a protest rally against President Arroyo at the UP-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) last June 15.

"It was a legitimate protest action by student organizations and health workers based on legitimate demands by the students and the people. It is also protected by a standing and binding memorandum of agreement by the UP System and the Department of National Defense (DND), which disallows the arrest of students and other constituents of the university during protest actions inside the vicinity of the university, be it in UP Diliman, UP Baguio or in UP-PGH and right smack at the face of an illegitimate President," said a statement from the USC.

The USC emphasized that the memorandum protects and recognizes the historic role of "Iskolars ng Bayan" in nation-building and the struggle for social change and reforms.

It recognizes the right of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, as the UP system is one of the few places in the country where there is sufficient democratic space for students and the people to seek redress from government for its failure to provide sufficient funds for higher education and the healthcare system, the group said.

The issue was aggravated after the PGH received only an increase of P100 million in its budget for new equipment while  P1 billion was reportedly earmarked to fight the communist insurgency within two years.

"The state has employed once again its repressive apparatuses to quell dissent from the Iskolars ng Bayan right inside university premises by enforcing the arrests of three constituents of the university and charging them with inciting to sedition, a charge that has been deemed without merit by the City Fiscal of Manila during the inquest proceedings of the case at bar," the USC said.

The students said they were arrested by Manila Police District operatives and were hauled into an unmarked private vehicle, a red Honda Civic. Two other UP students who were arrested inside the PGH and subsequently released to the USC and the UP Manila chancellor were arrested by plainclothes intelligence operatives who misrepresented themselves during a confrontation at the Security Office of the UP-PGH.

The arresting intelligence officer allegedly introduced himself as Tony Fajardo of the Presidential Security Group (PSG). However, upon meeting with the chancellor, the arresting officer revealed his true identity as a certain T/Sgt. Tapia whom the USC believes is part of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).

The USC suspects that military operatives were conducting surveillance and harassment operations after the PGH incident outside UP Manila gates along Padre Faura Street  as military personnel in fatigues and on board a private vehicle were seen outside the College of Arts and Sciences the whole day.

The USC emphasized that these are clear violations of the memorandum of agreement signed into existence in 1989 by then UP President Jose Abueva and former Defense Secretary Fidel Ramos. – Sandy Araneta