Bigger budget for campus police at UP Diliman pushed

MANILA, Philippines — Following the sexual assault of a female student at the University of the Philippines Diliman, lawmakers have floated proposals to address security concerns on campus, including a bigger budget for campus police and enforcing gender-sensitive policies.

UP officials’ immediate response to the attack that took place Saturday night was to deploy more roving personnel and assign them to guard areas on campus with a history of being dangerous.

Rep. Bernadette Herrera (Bagong Henerasyon Partylist) said on Wednesday that lawmakers will strive to augment the university’s efforts to tighten security by increasing the budget for campus police.

“We will do what we can do to support the efforts of University of the Philippines-Diliman Chancellor Edgardo Carlo Vistan is to significantly increase the budget of its campus police and add some infrastructure items for engineering solutions to the security concerns,” Herrera said.

“Technology solutions” and more vehicles that can be used for quick response would also be among the budget items that Congress would push for UP Diliman, Herrera added.

UP Diliman has its own police force called the UP Police which does not belong to the national government's Philippine National Police. The UP Police is under the supervision and control of the university's Chief Security Officer. To increase their numbers, the national government must create new plantilla items for them under the UP budget. 

Part of the UP Police’s law enforcement functions is to enforce rules and regulations, maintain public order and, if needed, make arrests within the campus.

Herrera added that while it is necessary for UP to remain open to the public, it may be time for the university to enforce an ID system that covers outsiders, including those in Barangay UP Campus and other adjacent barangays.

RELATED: UP officials now probing sexual assault on campus, deploys more roving security at night 

UP Police’s low compensation

In November 2022, the Philippine Collegian reported that the UP Diliman police force had dwindled to only 19 personnel after experiencing significant delays in their salary and low compensation.

According to the report by the university's official student publication, UP Diliman officials had requested higher wages for UP Police but had not been successful due to the limited fiscal space caused by the P2.5 billion budget cut for UP in 2023.

Rep. Arlene Brosas (Gabriela Women's Party) said that the incident should not be used as an excuse to intensify militarization and police presence in UP Diliman and other schools. 

What the university needs, Brosas said, is to enforce a gender-sensitive approach to policies and work closely with women's rights advocates and organizations for a comprehensive plan of action.

Brosas added: “It is imperative that the university takes immediate action to ensure the protection and well-being of its students.”

Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Popoy De Vera called on UP to review its policies and “its operational engagement with the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies” in light of the crime.