EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez 
House Bill No.  9727 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article XIV, Section 5. (2) of the 1987 Constitution provides that: 
“(2) Academic freedom shall be enjoyed in all institutions of higher 
learning” 
This provision ensures that all higher educational institutions are given the freedom to critically 
think, speak, move, act, and even dissent.  
It is in the State’s interest to protect the rights of the institution, its faculty, and students whose 
exchange of ideas have continuously strengthened our democracy. This has led to these 
higher educational institutions producing trailblazers in various fields and sectors.  
Ensuring academic freedom is vital to the realization of our societal goals as a democracy. It 
is through ensuring that academic institutions are free to breed new ideas through dynamic 
discourse that we are able to develop as a nation and guarantee the protection of our 
fundamental rights to freedom of expression, opinion, and association. 
Our country’s political, legal, business, economic, civic, and scientific leaders, both past and 
present, have enjoyed the academic freedom that the Constitution guarantees and it is 
because of this academic freedom that they got to where they are.  
This bill aims to declare all higher educational institutions (HEIs) whether private or state 
universities and colleges (SUCs) as freedom spaces where academic freedom is guaranteed. 
The bill also recognizes that HEIs can exercise their full acts of ownership over their property. 
Hence, coordination and authorization from the school administration is necessary to perform 
state security operations within school property. The bill further requires prior notification in 
the service of search warrants or warrants of arrest for students. It clarifies that in situations 
of hot pursuit, an emergency or seeking the assistance of law enforcement agencies, state 
security agents can enter HEI property. Finally, it seeks to provide for the creation of a joint 
monitoring committee to ensure proper implementation. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval of this measure is earnestly requested. 
RUFUS B. RODRIGUEZ 
December 12, 2023
2:37 pm


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez 
House Bill No.  9727 
AN ACT 
TO STRENGTHEN AND UPHOLD THE FREEDOM OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS TO 
TEACH, 
STUDY, 
AND 
PURSUE 
KNOWLEDGE 
AND 
RESEARCH 
WITHOUT 
UNREASONABLE INTERFERENCE OR RESTRICTION, IN ALL HIGHER EDUCATION 
INSTITUTIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. —This Act shall be known as the "Academic Freedom Act”. 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. —Pursuant to Article II (State Policies), Section 13 of the 
1987 Philippine Constitution, which recognizes that vital role of the youth in nation building 
and pursuant to its Article XIV (Education), particularly Section 1 and Section 5(2), which 
provide that the State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at 
all level, and that academic freedom shall be enjoyed in all institutions of higher learning, 
respectively, it is hereby made the policy of the State to extend the protection and limits in 
Article III (Bill of Rights), Section 4 to academic freedom in all higher education institutions in 
the Philippines. 
SECTION 3. Coverage. —The provisions of this Act shall be made applicable to all Higher 
Education Institutions in the Philippines. 
SECTION 4. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act — 
(a) The phrase "higher education institution” or “HEI” refers to an educational institution,
private or public, undertaking operations of higher education program/s with an
organized group of students pursuing defined studies in higher education, receiving
instructions from teachers, usually located in a building or group of buildings in a
particular site specifically intended for educational purposes.
(b) The phrase "freedom park" refers to those public places duly established by law or
ordinance as such.
(c) "Uniformed personnel" shall refer to the commissioned officers and enlisted personnel
of the uniformed services. For purposes of this Act, "uniformed services" shall refer to
the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau
of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Philippine
Coast Guard (PCG), and commissioned corps of the National Mapping and Resource
Information Authority (NAMRIA).
SECTION 5. HEIs as Freedom Parks. —Free speech and peaceable assembly are highly 
ranked constitutional values. Pursuant to this, all universities and colleges, are established as 
freedom parks. No permit, written or otherwise, shall be required by the national or local 
government for any person or persons to organize and hold a public assembly in HEIs. 
Uniformed personnel shall not interfere with peaceful protest action by HEI constituents within 
HEI premises. 


SECTION 6. Peace and Order Primary Responsibility of HEI. —It shall be the primary 
responsibility and duty of HEI officials to maintain proper behavior and conduct of their 
students, faculty, employees, and other members of its immediate community. 
Whenever requested by uniformed personnel, the appropriate HEI official shall extend 
the necessary assistance in the enforcement of law within the HEI premises. In this regard, 
HEI officials shall endeavor to strengthen its own security, police and firefighting capabilities 
so as to leave no vacuum that can be exploited by malefactors or criminal elements. 
Whenever the appropriate HEI official is of the opinion that assistance of uniformed 
personnel is indispensable to the maintenance of security, peace and order within HEI 
premises, the HEI official shall so inform in writing the head of the uniformed personnel and 
the later shall promptly dispatch such assistance as may be warranted by the circumstances. 
in case the request for assistance is granted, only uniformed personnel with proper 
identification shall be allowed entry into the HEI, except where the assistance requested 
specifies otherwise. 
 
SECTION 7. Prior Coordination Required from Uniformed Personnel — The conduct of any 
operation by members of the uniformed personnel may be allowed only upon prior 
coordination with the administration of the HEI. 
No member of the uniformed personnel may enter the premises of any HEI except only 
in the following instances — 
(a) In the provision of assistance as provided for in Section 6 of this Act. 
(b) In cases of hot pursuit and similar occasions of emergency. 
(c) In cases of ordinary transit through the premises. 
 
SECTION 8. Prior notification in the service of search warrants or warrants of arrest. —The 
service of search warrants or warrants of arrest on any HEI student, faculty, employee, or 
invited participant in any official HEI activity shall, as far as practicable, be done after prior 
notification is given to the proper HEI official. The same requirement of notification applies to 
any oral or written "invitation" for questioning and similar purposes. 
In case of prior notification, the party serving the warrant shall coordinate closely with 
the members of the HEI police or security force who shall accompany and assist them in the 
service of warrants. Similarly, no warrant shall be served without the presence of at least two 
faculty members designated by the appropriate HEI official. 
If the giving of prior notification by the party serving the warrant is not practical, a report 
shall be submitted to the concerned HEI official immediately, but not later than twenty-four 
(24) hours after the service of the warrant. 
Prior notification shall also be observed in the service of any notice or order issued 
under the Republic Act No. 11479 otherwise known as "The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020." 
 
SECTION 9. Arrest or detention of member of RIC community. —The arrest or detention of 
any HEI student, faculty or personnel anywhere in the Philippines shall, by the fastest means 
of communication, be reported immediately by the responsible head of the uniformed 
personnel effecting the arrest or detention to the appropriate HEI official, who shall then take 
the necessary action. 
No HEI student, faculty or employee shall be subjected to custodial investigation or 
detention without warrant of arrest under The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 without, as far as 
practicable, prior notice to the appropriate HEI official, and except in the presence of the 
counsel of choice of the student, faculty or employee, or with the assistance of a counsel 
appointed for them by said HEI official. 
 
SECTION 10. Construction. —Nothing in this Act shall be construed as a prohibition against 
the enforcement of the laws of the land. 
 
SECTION 11. Joint Congressional Oversight. —The Commission on Higher Education, the 


Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges, the Commission on Human Rights, 
the appropriate divisions of the Department of National Defense, the Armed Forces of the 
Philippines, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management 
and Penology, Philippine Coast Guard, and commissioned corps of the National Mapping and 
Resource Information Authority shall submit bi-annual report to the Congressional Oversight 
Committee to determine compliance with this Act. 
 
SECTION 12. Non-compliance as administrative liability. —Non-compliance and violation of 
Sections 5, 6, 7,8 and 9 of this Act will result in administrative liability, which shall be 
considered grave whenever such non-compliance results in serious physical injury or death of 
a student, faculty, employee, or guest of the HEI. 
 
SECTION 13. Separability Clause. —Should any provision of this Act be declared invalid, or 
unconstitutional, the provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect. 
 
SECTION 14. Repealing clause - All laws, decrees, letters of instructions, resolutions, orders, 
ordinances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 15. Effectivity. —This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its publication 
in the Official Gazette, or two (2) newspapers of general circulation, whichever comes first. 
 
 
Approved,