UP DILIMAN Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo condemned attempts by the military and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict to remove books that are deemed “subversive” from the libraries of universities and colleges.

“Mariing tinututulan at kinokondena ng UP Diliman ang ginawang pagtanggal ng militar sa mga sinasabi nilang subersibong libro, dokumento, at materyales ng ilang state university libraries. Ito’y paglabag sa kalayaan ng mga pamantasan na makapagturo, magsaliksik, at magpalaganap ng kaalaman nang malaya at walang kinatatakutan,” Nemenzo said.

“Desisyon nating mga guro kung ano ang ipababasa o hindi ipababasa sa ating mga estudyante, at ang tamang desisyon ay ipabasa ang lahat. Gusto natin ay buksan ang kanilang isipan para makita nila ang lahat ng ideya, lahat ng punto de bista, lahat ng alternatiba,” he added.

UP Diliman’s stand comes in the wake of the latest attempts to clamp down on academic freedom with the Commission on Higher Education in the Cordillera Administrative Region issuing regional memo calling on all universities and colleges to surrender so-called “subversive” books and materials to authorities.

Nemenzo described the removal of books and readings as a form of censorship, violence and repression of ideas.

“Ang kanilang mga aksiyon sa mga pamantasan ay lalo pang nagdudulot ng takot sa ating mga estudyante. Tinatanggalan sila ng kalayaang mag-isip, magtanong, at magsaliksik, kalayaang tumuklas ng kalayaan batay sa kanilang sariling kakayahan,” he said.

Nemenzo vowed to protect these special collections and other library materials from military repression to keep UP Diliman a “sanctuary of academic freedom and ideas on peace and social justice.”

Former UP Faculty Regent Ramon Guillermo said the military intrusion on libraries is a concrete example of the intensifying attacks on academic freedom under the Duterte administration, which he compared to state forces repressing feelings and ideas that are not acceptable to those in power.

“Ang pagpasok sa aklatan ay talagang pagpasok sa puso ng pamantasan,” he said.

“Sa pagtatanggol ng ating mga aklatan, hindi tayong maaaring bumigay ng kahit isang centimeter dahil kung bibigay tayo nang kahit isang centimeter ay sa susunod ay magiging isang meter na iyan. Pagkaraan ay magiging isang kilometer naman. Hindi lamang sa isang iglap nawawala ang kalayaan,” Guillermo said.

UP Diliman Head Librarian Elvira Lapuz likewise called on librarians especially in smaller state universities to stand their ground against attacks on freedom of information.