DILG, SUPORTADO ANG DND-UP PACT ABROGATION

Inihayag ng Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) ang buong pagsuporta nito sa abrogation ng Department of National Defense (DND) sa kasunduan nito sa University of the Philippines (UP) noong 1989.

“The agreement has become obsolete and no longer attuned to the times. It was signed way back in 1989, three years after the end of the Marcos dictatorship. The conditions have changed,” saad ni DILG officer-in-charge (OIC) Usec. Bernardo Florece sa isang pahayag.

Dagdag pa niya, tama umano ang DND sa pagsasabing mayroong nangyayaring recruitment sa mga UP campuses ng mga komunistang grupo at ang armed wing nitong New People’s Army.

“This fact has been tolerated by the government for a long time out of respect for the agreement,” sabi ni Florece.

Kung matatandaan, nagpadala ng sulat si Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana sa kasalukuyang UP president.

“By reason of national security and safety of UP students, this Department intends to remedy this situation by terminating or abrogating the existing ‘Agreement’ in order for us to perform our legal mandate of protecting our youth against CPP-NPA recruitment activities,” saad ng sulat ni Lorenzana.

Sinabi naman ng DILG na makikipagpulong sila sa mga opisyal ng UP sa susunod na linggo upang reviewhin naman ang kanilang 1992 UP-DILG agreement na naglilimita ng police presence sa UP campuses.

Ayon sa DILG, titingnan nila kung relevant pa umano ang kanilang kasunduan at kung naipapatutupad pa rin ang public order at safety sa mga UP campuses.

Kinumpirma ni DILG spokesperson at Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya na makikipagpulong sila sa mga UP officials bilang tugon sa kanilang mga request para i-address ang mga concerns ng ahensya. Ia-assess umano sa pagpupulong ang level ng seguridad sa UP.

“The non-academic areas in UP have increased through the years and crime has been increasing, thus we need to discuss ways on how we can maintain peace and order in those areas,” sabi ni Malaya.

“Upon the request of UP, we are open to a meeting. Kailangan na talaga nating umupo at magusap dahil sa dami ng mga pagbabago, pangyayari at problema sa UP. The bottomline is, and will always be, to ensure peace and security in the students and faculty of UP,” dagdag niya.

Ang 1992 UP-DILG agreement ay pinirmahan noon nina dating UP President Jose Abueva at dating DILG Secretary Rafael M. Alunan III matapos ang enactment ng Republic Act No. 6975.