DND ‘ignored basic courtesies’ in scrapping accord with UP, say alumni
Published January 26, 2021 9:54pm
Updated January 27, 2021 12:09am By JULIA MARI ORNEDO, GMA News The Department of National Defense (DND) “ignored and disregarded basic courtesies” when it unilaterally terminated its 31-year-old accord with the University of the Philippines (UP) that prevented state forces from freely entering campuses, alumni said Tuesday. The UP Alumni Association (UPAA) underscored that the agreement was entered into “in good faith” by both parties in 1989. “The one-sided cancellation of the 1989 accord violates established norms in a society that respects the sanctity of contracts,” they said in a statement.
Published January 26, 2021, 11:07 PM
The 24-member Senate on Tuesday passed a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate to welcome the decision of the Department of National Defense (DND) to answer the various calls for dialogue with the University of the Philippines (UP) on the termination of the 1989 UP-DND accord.
Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN)
Sponsored by opposition Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, proposed Resolution 616 also urges “both parties to revisit the accord and to further urge DND to hold dialogues with other academic institutions to find a common ground that promotes the rule of law, peace and security, and protects academic freedom and the pursuit of excellence.”
President Rodrigo Duterte has allowed the resumption of limited in-person classes in medical and allied health programs in higher education institutions in areas under the general community quarantine and modified GCQ areas.