NABABAHALA ang ilang senador na nagsipagtapos sa University of the Philippines sa ‘unilateral abrogration’ ng Department of National Defense sa 1989 agreement nito sa unibersidad.

Bilang produkto ng UP, sinabi ni Senador Sonny Angara na pinatunayan ng state university na iginagalang nito ang academic freedom kung saan ang mga indibiduwal ay malayang nakapagpapahayag ng kanilang mga opinyon at paniniwala nang walang pangamba.

“UP has produced some of the best and brightest minds in our country’s history and there is no doubt that the academic freedom enjoyed by the State University played no small part in this,” pahayag ni Angara.

Binigyang-diin ng senador na ito ang dahilan kaya palaging napapabilang ang UP sa top universities at kumpiyansa siyang patuloy itong aangat sa pamamagitan ng tulong ng gobyerno.

Iginiit ni Angara na anuman ang naging isyu o problemang nakikita ng mga awtoridad sa kasunduan ay dapat muna itong pinag-usapan at idinaan sa konsultasyon ang anumang paraang ipatutupad.

Tulad ni Angara, umaasa rin ang isa pang UP graduate na si Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon na makokonsidera pa ang desisyon ng DND.

“I am saddened by this development. As a UP graduate, I know how the whole UP community values the freedom inside the campus. We are not saying that UP should be beyond the law.  If there are issues of violations of the law, a search warrant is a remedy available to the authorities not only in other places but also in UP,” pahayag ni Drilon.

“I know Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to be a very reasonable person. I would ask him to review the termination of the agreement, because it does not solve any problem. It just heightens the tension; it does not solve any problem,” diin pa ni Drilon.

Para naman kay Senador Francis Pangilinan na mula rin sa UP, hindi dapat panghimasukan ng militar ang UP.

“Tinutulan natin ang panghihimasok ng diktador noon. UP has always been and will always be a citadel of freedom and democracy. No to the unilateral and arbitrary termination of the Enrile-Soto accord. Pakiusap lang please don’t mess with UP,” diin ni Pangilinan.