News
Parents of student activists back termination of UP-DND deal
MANILA – Parents of student activists reportedly recruited by militant groups on Tuesday rallied behind Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to terminate the University of the Philippines- Department of National Defense (UP-DND) Accord of 1989.
“The protection of our youth is paramount and the action of DND will not only prevent the deceptive recruitment of our youth inside the campus but also protect them from joining extremism and destructive armed struggle,” Hands Off our Children Movement (HOCM) said in a statement.
HOCM Inc., an advocacy group composed of parents whose children were reportedly “deceived” into joining organizations supportive of communist ideologies, was created to give support to other parents who are in a similar situation.
HOCM Inc. chair Gemma Labsan said they wanted it known that they are standing their ground as guardians of their children’s protection and welfare.
“For us parents, there is no reason to restrict our law enforcement officers inside the school premises, especially now that we are aware of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army – National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) front organizations’ abuse in the above-mentioned agreement,” the group said in a statement.
The campus may or may not be aware of the deceitful activities of the CPP-NPA-NDF inside their premises but it is their utmost responsibility to look into this and provide safety to their students and educators from the schemes of the communist terrorist, the group added.
“For this reason, we hope that the campus administration will cooperate in protecting and nurturing our youth and making the campus a safe place for our children to develop and become better individuals,” they said.
In a letter dated January 15, Lorenzana wrote to UP President Danilo Concepcion that the almost 31-year-old deal between the two government institutions prohibiting the military and police from entering UP campuses is being used by CPP-NPA recruiters and supporters as propaganda so that government cannot conduct operations against the communist terrorist group.
He added that recent events undeniably show that a number of UP students have been identified as CPP-NPA members, some of whom have been captured or surrendered while others have been killed in armed encounters with the military and police.
He said it is time to terminate the existing agreement in pursuit of true national peace and development to protect and secure the institution and the youth against the enemies of the state without sacrificing the freedoms that have been preserved for about 30 that the agreement has been in effect.
HOCM said it also looks forward to the termination of the Prudente-Ramos accord from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines where “most of our children were deceptively recruited”.
Lorenzana, on the other hand, made it clear that the DND is looking at scrapping the pacts forged with other schools similar to the recently terminated agreement with UP.
Christine Cudis
