SEVERAL student organizations from the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu have voiced opposition to UP’s recent agreement with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), signed at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Aug. 8, 2024.
Their petition was demonstrated through a mobilization event held in front of the UP Cebu campus in Lahug, Cebu City, on Friday, Aug. 30. The petition is part of a system-wide call by UP students to oppose military intervention in the university to protect academic freedom and a constituents’ call for UP President Angelo Jimenez to withdraw from the Declaration of Cooperation with the AFP.
UP Cebu University Student Council (USC) vice chairperson Ian Peter Guanzon said in an interview with SunStar Cebu on Friday that the agreement is a breach of the UP-Department of National Defense and UP-Department of the Interior and Local Government accords, which are agreements that protect the university from government interference.
The declaration will allow “visits, exchanges and research fellowships” in the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies for purported joint projects, as revealed by the full document of the UP-AFP Declaration of Cooperation.
Several UP student publications, such as Lanog, dyUP Sugbo, Tinta, and the USC held a mobilization in front of their campus in line with National Press Freedom Day and International Day of the Disappeared.
Raising awareness
Guanzon said the protest is set to raise awareness of the recent attacks on both campus and national press, including the political imprisonment of journalists.
The signing of the declaration for cooperation was made after Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s hearing about red-tagging, which raised concerns about academic freedom and student safety.
The student council believes that the increased police presence is a threat to the rights of students and the university community.
“With the heightened militarization in our universities, we invite organizations and individuals to sign the petition to oppose possible military intervention in our university and academic freedom,” urged UP Cebu USC in a Facebook post on Thursday, Aug. 29.
Unannounced police presence
Meanwhile, an unannounced police presence at the UP Cebu campus on Thursday concerned students who participated in the National Press Freedom rally.
The UP Cebu Student Council, in a Facebook post on Thursday, said: “Reports of police vehicles began emerging at around 1:28 p.m. with a private vehicle of a police officer parked at the premises of the Arts and Sciences Hall.”
“The increased patrols continued throughout the day, with a notable police vehicle stationed by the entrance to the undergraduate campus,” it added.
The student council said the reported sightings of police concern them following the arrest of a student leader during a protest in McDiola, Tacloban, and amid heightened scrutiny of the UP-AFP Declaration of Cooperation on Friday, Aug. 16.
“This agreement, which facilitates “visits, exchanges, and research fellowships” between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the University of the Philippines, has sparked significant debate and concern about potential implications for academic freedom and student activism,” the council said. /CDF