HOUSE Deputy Minority leader Carlos Isagani Zarate called on Barangay UP Campus Chairperson Zenaida Lectura to carefully study the plan of the Philippine National Police to hold immersion within the campus community as it may have dire consequences for the residents.

“We have received complaints in the past that police immersion programs are in fact used for intelligence information gathering. In some cases, such immersions are the preludes to raids done in communities,” Zarate said.

The solon said the PNP may just be testing the waters if it can get away with it, then later on launch other operations like the ones that  happened during the ‘Bloody Sunday’ massacre in Southern Tagalog.

“They may not just be targeting students, faculty, staff and other UP residents in this operation, but the Lumad Bakwit School in the campus as well, like what happened  in the University of San Carlos in Cebu City,” the solon stressed.

“We believe, it would be more prudent that this police immersion not be allowed inside the UP campus community.  Barangay and university officials should continuously assert that UP should not be militarized,” he further said.

Zarate maintained acts and programs designed to stifle dissent and independent thinking have no place in UP or any place of learning.