FACULTY and academic staff of the University of the Philippines pressed for the passage of laws protecting all educational institutions from red-tagging and political repression.

“The UP community is one in supporting legislative efforts to defend UP and other educational institutions in the country against red-tagging and other attacks on academic freedom,” said UP Prof. Francisco Jayme Paolo Guiang of CONTEND-UP during a public consultation on red-tagging and academic freedom on Thursday.

“Given the incessant red-tagging and other attacks on UP constituents, we commend the passing on third reading of House Bill 10171, which institutionalizes the UP-DND Accord in the UP Charter. We strongly urge the Senate to fast track its passage into law in their own end,” he said.

HB 10171 or an act institutionalizing the 1989 UP-DND Accord, amending for the purpose section 11 of RA 9500, otherwise known as the UP Charter of 2008 was passed on third and final reading on September 21, 2021.

Guiang expressed hope that House Bill 8544, which seeks to legislate the protection of academic freedom not only in UP but in all educational institutions, will also be passed.

Participants in the public consultation shared cases of red-tagging against UP faculty, staff, and students in various campuses in the UP system.

The red-tagging spree and political harassment against UP reached its peak after the Department of Defense abrogated its security agreement with UP that prevented security forces from entering campuses.