(We yield this space to the statement of human rights alliance Karapatan due to its timeliness. – Ed.)
ACADEMIC institutions must uphold schools and libraries as democratic spaces. “Tokhang” in libraries by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict should be stopped.
The libraries of three universities did not want to pull out books and publications on their own, but have done so because police and state forces have inspected them, and told them what were deemed “subversive” and what should be pulled out. This is “tokhang”, but this time, they are after books and publications. This is similar to how the military under Marcos’ martial law raided libraries and confiscated documents they deemed subversive.
Weeks after the Kalinga State University in Tabuk City pulled out 11 publications of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), which included public documents on the peace talks agreements signed by NDFP and the government of the Philippines, two other state universities have pulled out similar books and publications and turned them over to either the RTF-ELCAC or the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA).
On Sept. 21, the university president of Isabela State University reportedly advised all its campuses to pull out similar books and publications. At least 23 handbooks published by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) have since been pulled out from the library of the ISU main campus in Echague, Isabela.
On Sept. 24, the Aklan State University in Banga, Aklan “turned over” books and publications, after the Aklan Police Provincial Office “reached out” to the university about the presence of so-called “subversive” books in their library.
Libraries are democratic spaces, where information and knowledge should be unhampered. The pull out of books and publications are attacks on academic freedom and the right to freedom of information.
We go to libraries for unlimited access to knowledge and verified information. The acquisition and keeping of materials in libraries should never be meddled upon by ignorant elements that only excel in spreading fake news, malicious red-tagging, fear and terror among the people. Only those with fascist delusions are afraid of books.
The University of the Philippines Visayas should be commended. Chancellor Clement Camposano said in a Facebook post that not a single “subversive” material will be removed from the university’s library collection, and that “libraries are an extension of academic freedom.”
We hope that more university and library officials will speak up and uphold democratic rights and academic freedom. What the NTF-ELCAC does not understand is that it may remove all materials in libraries to suppress information, but as long as social injustice remains, the people and most especially the youth, will read, learn and seek information, as they look for analysis and answers to our current situation.
