UP Diliman eyes security upgrade after stabbing on campus

MANILA, Philippines — The University of the Philippines Diliman has vowed to scrutinize its lapses in campus security after an 18-year-old student was injured in a stabbing and robbery incident on campus late Monday.

Due to the "critical low" numbers of the UP Diliman police, Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs Roehl Jamon said the university is now looking at several ways to improve security at the 493-hectare campus, which include the hiring of more personnel.

"We will again review the lapses, propose necessary adjustments, possibly purchase equipment, and hire new personnel. And very importantly, inculcate within the community that security is everyone's responsibility," Jamon told Philstar.com in a message Tuesday night.

In November 2022, the university's student paper, the Philippine Collegian, reported that the UP Diliman Police only had 19 members to man its 493-hectare campus. Shortage of personnel forced the small team to prioritize high-risk areas, the Collegian reported.

A female UP Diliman student was sexually assaulted and attacked on campus along Ylanan Street near the far end of the UP Baseball Field in July 2023, prompting the university to increase its roving patrols.

On Monday, a female student was wounded when three suspects reportedly tried to rob her. 

Two out of three have been nabbed, while the main suspect remains at large as of Tuesday night, Jamon said. 

Anonas police personnel were able to track down the suspects through closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from Barangay UP campus.

Jamon said that before the incident on Monday, campus police have managed to address incidents on campus despite their low numbers.

"We are looking at several solutions to address our security concerns. But as with any [government institution], this won't happen overnight," he added.

Like several other state universities, the University of the Philippines typically gets a budget much lower than what it proposes every year. For 2024, congressional budget deliberations trimmed its proposed P40.8 billion budget to P24.8 billion.