The University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) on Wednesday raised alarm over the newly forged agreement between the school and the military called Declaration of Cooperation.
A statement issued by the UP academic council said they are disappointed with incumbent UP president Angelo Jimenez who entered into the accord with the Armed Forces of the Philippines despite the school’s vigilance in defending academic freedom and condemning red-tagging by the military.
“The AFP’s announcement caught UP’s faculty by surprise. Even the main proponent from the Center for Integrative and Development Studies (CIDS) did not consult the CIDS program convenors about the drafting and actual signing of the agreement.” the council said.
The council maintained that pact endangered the faculty, staff, and students, even its resources, spaces, and history of activism.
“The UP-AFP agreement is an assault on the independence of our university and on academic freedom, which is enshrined in the Philippine Constitution. academic freedom is the lifeblood of the university,” group said.
They clarified however, that they are not against professors and fellow scholars or the military gaining access to the university’s publicly available research facilities.
In fact, collaboration has been set between the military like the use of Navy vessels for marine science research.
In the end, the council challenged Jimenez to nullify the assailed agreement with the AFP.
