MANILA, Philippines (Updated 3:04 p.m.) — The Commission on Higher Education on Monday distanced itself from proposed measures to legislate the terminated UP-DND accord of 1989, saying the matter should be left in the hands of parties involved.
Criticism from various groups including lawmakers had met the defense department's move to abrogate its decades-long pact with the state-run university on grounds remaining unproven that it is a hotbed for recruiting students to the armed communist movement.
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It had led senators to file a resolution opposing the termination, and later on, a bill filed in the upper chamber to institutionalize the accord signed to protect the university's autonomy from military intervention, especially in protests.
But over ANC's "Matters of Fact," Chairman Prospero de Vera III said academic freedom should instead be defined, wary that legislating it may not be based on what would be agreed between the university and the DND.
"I am concerned that there are legislators filling bills already to legislate it," he said. "It is imperative that if there is an attempt to make these policies, they should be grounded on a consensus on what is meant by academic freedom."
Such was the call by CHED days after the highly criticized abrogation of the agreement, where de Vera said he would convene a panel to arrive at an "acceptable definition" to aid in lawmakers' proposal.
He added that the body would include "several eminent persons" which is expected to be announced this week.
"If an accord is indeed reached, it must really be put in very detailed operational guidelines. Monitoring is important if there are violations," de Vera said, echoing his earlier remarks that the accord was "destined to be problematic."
The CHED chairman said too that an important part of reforming the accord should be on allowing it to be changed as it "may need to be adjusted consistent to the changing times."
DND's move was done without consulting UP administrators and is largely viewed as an affront to academic freedom.
It is also seen to reduce spaces for expressing dissent at a time when mass gatherings such as protests are prohibited and it is only in UP campuses, particularly in Diliman, that demonstrations have been carried out.
"You don't need to legislate it. This can be agreed between administrators of the universities and security forces in all universities, both public and private," de Vera added.
But while Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has said that he is willing to engage in discussions with UP officials, he has said that he would only do so if they are able to explain why their students had been among those killed in anti-insurgency operations by government troops.
Senators in their explanatory note on Bill No. 2002 called the junking of the deal as an "attack on [UP's] autonomy" which forms part of long-running "state efforts to minimize [its] unique role and participation... in social change."
The chances of the measure hurdling through the Senate remain unclear to date, with only 10 of its members expressing opposition to the termination of the accord so far, among them graduates of the university.
Three UP alumni in the chamber, however, have yet to release statements on the matter, namely: Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Aquilino Pimentel III and Cynthia Villar. Sen. Pia Cayetano, also an alumna, has urged for a dialogue between UP and the DND, but stopped short of supporting the measure. — with reports from Bella Perez-Rubio
(Editor's note: The original headline "CHED opposes proposal to legislate UP-DND accord" was changed to reflect that De Vera is not blocking proposed legislation)