THE UNIVERSITY of the Philippines Los Baños has approved a resolution to safeguard freedom and critical thinking.

The University Committee, the highest policy-making body of the school, committed to maintain the campus as a “safe haven” for the UPLB community.

School officials agreed to create a University Council committee that will tackle national issues “in consultation with a multisectoral advisory body composed of representatives from students, faculty, REPS, workers, student organizations, and other UPLB constituents.”

The University Council  will also support the ongoing review and negotiation of the accord between UP and the Department of Defense. At the same time, it vowed to uphold academic freedom, human rights and civil liberties.

The resolution was passed following the abrogation of the UP-DND pact in January.

“The Youth Advocates for Peace with Justice, together with the UPLB University Student Council and the All UP Academic Employees Union-Los Baños, immediately took action by crafting a resolution to ensure the university’s security, academic freedom, and the right to organize of its constituents and stakeholders,” UPLB-USC said.

“This is a great triumph, not only for the UPLB constituents but for the whole Southern Tagalog community, which is now experiencing an onslaught of killings and a crackdown on activists and progressives under the Duterte regime,” it added.