ACCORDING to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the University of the Philippines – Department of National Defense (UP-DND) accord was destined to be problematic.
It was dismaying and irresponsible, to say the least. CHED should protect the academic freedom of academic institutions, not collude with the baseless accusations of the security forces.
In fact, by not condemning state security forces in terminating the UP-DND accord and further red-tagging most higher education institutions with the baseless and recycled lies of being so-called breeding grounds of New People’s Army, CHED is attacking the essence of education institutions.
What is problematic with the historical accord fought for academic freedom by students and activists?
By saying that the UP-DND accord is “destined to be problematic”, CHED is already colluding with the narrative and objective of state security forces. Instead of protecting academic freedom, CHED is allowing these attacks to limit the discourse in higher education institutions, red-tag students, teachers and legal organizations of education stakeholders. This is dangerous as it puts at risk the safety and lives of students, faculty and staff of higher institutions of learning. Those who are doing this must stop the practice of red-tagging. Falsely labeling people makes them target of harassment and worst, killings.
CHED will set a dangerous precedent by not condemning and not defending the academic institutions it is supposed to protect from unwarranted police and military incursions or uses.
By accepting the state narrative against UP, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and even universities like Ateneo, La Salle, Far Eastern University and University of Santo Tomas, etc., the obvious bias of the CHED is with the security sector and not education stakeholders.
We certainly do not want soldiers, whether in uniform or civilian clothes, stalking campuses and inhibiting the freedom of our teachers and students to study and express their ideas. Under the Constitution, an academic institution has the right to choose who may teach, what may be taught, how it should be taught and who may study in their institution. Further limiting education institutions of their academic freedom erases its essence and further tramples the right of our youth to have access to quality education.
