My Final Stand: Defend UP, Academic Freedom, and the Truth (Opinion)

The termination of the UP -DND Agreement had been effective last January 15,2020 as initiated by DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in a 2-page letter sent to UP President Danilo Concepcion. Duterte was not consulted on the decision to end the agreement.

The UP-DND accord was developed after a warrantless arrest of Donato Continente, a staff member of the Philippine Collegian, the UP student paper on June 19, 1989 by a military operations. The UP-DND prohibits military and police presence in any UP campus without authorization from the UP administration except in “cases of hot pursuit and similar occasions of emergency.”

My personal stand was based from the result of having military and police personnel during the protest rally.

After reviewing some literature, there were 8 UNARMED demonstrators who got killed during the protest rally.

Here are some of the quotes from newspaper and credible blogs:

1. UP Diliman Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo -was shot at a peaceful protest rally in Welcome Rotonda 35 years ago September 27, 1984

“unarmed demonstrators – students, professionals, there were religious people, there were business people.”

two bystanders were killed, and several others were seriously wounded.

2.Diliman Commune and Other Protests

“In January 1971, weekly protests (marked by barricades and rallies) were held by students in response to the rising price of fuel, which was ignored by the Philippine government during that time. On 1 February 1971, protesting transport workers joined the UPD community at the UPD campus to form a massive barricade that led to the disruption of classes and the entry of government forces in the campus. During that day, mathematics professor Inocentes Campos opened fire to the barricading students after his failed attempt to enter the campus. During the melee, 17-year-old freshman Pastor Mesina of the SDK was badly hit and died three days later. Campos’ car was subsequently burned by the students.”

“The Diliman Commune left one student dead while four students, one employee and five security guards were wounded. P94,820 worth of facilities and equipment were reportedly damaged.”

“Over the course of the first week of February 1971, as barricades were erected in both downtown Manila and at Diliman, six students were killed protesting against Marcos and the repressive state apparatus. Five of these were in downtown Manila and one on the Diliman campus, but only the student who was killed at UP — Pastor Mesina — is now remembered.”

I understand that Department of National Defense desires to protect students from CPP-NPA. UP students who joined CPP-NPA were just a minority. Majority of the UP students are not communist or member of CPP-NPA. UP is not anti-government. We are just trained to be independent critical thinkers and fighter of social justice.

“To suppress an opinion is wrong, whether or not that opinion is true. For if it is true, we are robbed of the truth, and if it false, we are denied that fuller understanding of the truth which comes from its conflict with error. And when, as often happens, the prevailing view is part truth and part error, we shall know the whole truth only by allowing free circulation of contesting opinions.” -John Stuart Mill

“Hindi dapat pumapatol ang mga pulis at military person sa mga student na wala namang armas at walang kalaban-laban habang nag-p-protesta.”

Good purpose from the Department of National Defense isn’t enough. We have to look at the data, evidence, and what happened in the past.

To reiterate, After reviewing some literature, there were 8 UNARMED demonstrators who got killed during the protest rally.

References

1. https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/02/29/20/the-m-16-bullet-that-changed-fidel-nemenzos-life
2. https://www.martiallawchroniclesproject.com/how-the-diliman-commune-was-part-of-a-coordinated-campaign-of-barricades-in-february-1971/
3. https://iskwiki.upd.edu.ph/index.php/Diliman_Commune
4. https://issuu.com/philippinecollegian/docs/1989-agreement-of-up-and-dnd-on-mil?fbclid=IwAR3xZIE3HA5hjg51yEVomYyrD6QIXoE6H7hcR_7x2DCEhQrqVeByap_DtEU
5. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1386001/duterte-not-consulted-on-decision-to-end-up-dnd-accord-says-palace

#DefendUP #DefenceAcademicFreedom #DefendTheTruth