Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Wednesday that he is open to negotiating with the University of the Philippines regarding the abrogation of the UP-DND accord which bans the military and the police inside the university since the 1970s.
Lorenzana said in a press conference that UP has to explain why its students were among those killed in encounters between the New People’s Army rebels and the government forces.
“If they can explain that, we will talk. If not, then forget it,” he said.
The defense chief made the statement after UP President Danilo Concepcion urged him to reconsider the “totally unnecessary and unwarranted” unilateral termination of the UP-Department of National Defense accord.
Lorenzana also admitted that he terminated the deal without consulting UP.
“Yes, I am open to a dialogue with them, I appreciate the decision of a lot of well-meaning people like members of the Senate to pass a resolution to ask to dialogue, also Secretary [Harry] Roque has offered his office for a dialogue between me and [UP President] Danilo Concepcion,” he said.
Lorenzana will discuss UP-DND accord if UP can explain students’ deaths
“I am willing to talk to him pero sagutin muna nila kung bakit namatay itong mga tao ito na kasama ng NPA. This a list of students of UP from all UP campuses na namatay during encounters with the Armed Forces. Explain to me bakit nangyari ito sa kanila, why did they fail to protect these young kids joining these organizations and they get killed,” Lorenzana added.
The DND-UP Accord was signed in 1989, between former UP president Jose Abueva and former Defense Secretary Fidel Ramos. It states the rules of military and police operations within the university.
Also under the UP-DND accord, the military and police should ask the permission of the UP leadership first before they could conduct operations inside the campus.
Termination of the UP-DND accord means that state authorities, such as the military and police, can enter the campus at any time.