learn about 1989 UP–DND accord
The 1989 University of the Philippines–Department of National Defense accord (UP–DND accord) was a bilateral agreement between the Department of National Defense (DND) and the University of the Philippines (UP) that restricted military and police access and operations inside the university. On October 28, 1981, an agreement between then-UP student leader Sonia Soto and then-defence minister Juan Ponce Enrile, known as the Soto–Enrile accord, was signed to protect students from the presence of the military and police in any of UP's campuses. On June 16, 1989, Donato Continente, a staffer of The Philippine Collegian and an alleged communist, was arrested within the premises of the university for his involvement in the killing of US Army Col. James Nicholas Rowe on April 21, 1989. Ramos signed the agreement, effectively succeeding the 1981 Soto–Enrile accord. The agreement was made to ensure the academic freedom of UP's students and prevent state officials from interfering with students' protests. State officials intending to conduct an operation inside a UP campus shall give prior notification to the UP administration except in the event of pursuit or any other emergencies. UP officials shall assist law enforcers within UP premises and endeavour to strengthen its security, police, and fire-fighting capabilities without being exploited unlawfully. State officials shall not interfere with any peaceful protest conducted by the UP's constituents within the university's premises. Search and arrest warrants for students, faculty members, and employees shall be given after prior notification is sent to the UP administration. The arrest and detention of any UP student, faculty, or employee in the Philippines shall be reported immediately by the authorities in charge to the UP administration. On January 18, 2021, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and his office announced to the public the unilateral termination of the agreement citing that the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, New People's Army (NPA), both tagged as terrorist organizations by the Anti-Terrorism Council, have been recruiting members inside the university and called it a "hindrance in providing effective security, safety, and welfare of the students, faculty, and employees of UP." The DND notified the termination of the agreement to UP three days earlier. The Armed Forces of the Philippines chairman of the joint chiefs Gilbert Gapay claimed that at least 18 students of the university recruited by the NPA had been killed so far in clashes with the military, according to their records. A similar agreement between the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) and the DND signed in 1990 is also being advocated for termination by Duterte Youth Representative Ducielle Cardema. President Rodrigo Duterte supported the DND's decision to abolish the agreement, according to a statement by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. In an interview with CNN Philippines, Roque, a former UP law professor and human rights lawyer, replied to a tweet from UP professor Danilo Arao that questioned his honour and excellence, saying that he had already asked the defence secretary and the UP president to settle down. Vice President Leni Robredo, on the other hand, denounced the decision and said that the decision was meant to silence the administration's critics. On January 20, Senators Joel Villanueva, Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, and Grace Poe filed a bill in the Senate to institutionalize the accord into Republic Act No. 9005, or the University of the Philippines Charter of 2008. Several lawmakers from both branches of Congress have also expressed their concerns and disagreements with the DND's decision. UP President Danilo Concepcion said that the termination of the agreement was "unnecessary and unwarranted" and was made without consulting the UP administration. Meanwhile, UP Student Regent Renee Co called the decision "one of the [government's] worst attempts at destroying the institutional safeguards that UP students have fought to put in their struggle for their democratic rights."