STATEMENT ON THE PRESENCE OF UNIFORMED POLICE PERSONNEL, SWAT AND COURT SHERIFFS IN UP CEBU LAST AUGUST 7-9, 2019
The University of the Philippines Cebu Administration is one with the sentiments of the UP Cebu University Student Council (UP Cebu USC) and the All UP Academic Employees Union Cebu Chapter (AUPAEU) in its call for upholding academic freedom and institutional autonomy. The administration is also against the potential review of the Philippine National Police (PNP) of Agreements between the Department of National Defense and State Universities and Colleges (SUC’s) regarding police and military presence inside said schools and universities.
It is to everyone’s knowledge that the demolition on Sitio Avocado finally took place on August 7-9, 2019. The demolition was supposed to happen last July 23-26, 2019 but it did not materialize due to the lack of police assistance.
It must be emphasized that it was the Court Sheriffs who requested the assistance of the police and the demolition could not have taken place in their absence. With that said, the administration accommodated the police and the sheriffs last August 7-9, 2019 by allowing them to have their breakfast, to conduct their briefing and formation, and to park their vehicles inside the campus premises. This was done under the consideration that the demolition site was just beside UP Cebu and that there was no other place for them to use as a jump-off point before proceeding to Sitio Avocado.
UP Cebu carefully considered the Soto-Enrile Accord in allowing the presence of police personnel in campus temporarily and for the sole purpose stated above.
The incident wherein some police personnel lounged in the kiosks and used some of UP Cebu’s facilities were not in any way made known to the administration prior to its occurrence and was not supposed to happen. During that day, the policemen and SWAT were allowed to have their lunch in the Cebu Cultural Center because the Lahug Barangay Hall refused them entry due to certain pressures the barangay has received. We will use this incident to review certain protocols in campus so that such incident which caused apprehension among the students will not happen again.
UP Cebu shall remain free from military or police intrusion and shall protect its academic freedom. It shall remain a zone of peaceful academic pursuits of different persuasions.
Thank you for your kind understanding.
UP Cebu Administration
