Statement of UPOU on DND’s Unilateral Abrogation of the UP-DND Accord

The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) strongly supports the call of UP President Danilo L. Concepcion to uphold the UP-DND accord and expresses indignation and grave concern on the unilateral abrogation of the agreement. 

We  believe that this accord safeguards the constitutionally guaranteed academic freedom of the university and provides a safe space for its constituents to freely express their thoughts,  ideologies and advocacies in various formats and platforms. The baseless accusations and unwarranted red-tagging of UP students, its faculty and staff are not enough basis for the agreement to be terminated. 

We are one with the entire UP community in defending our academic freedom and our right for free and safe haven to openly express our ideas. This unilateral decision of the Department of National Defense to terminate the agreement poses a grave threat, especially in this time where opinions and ideas are expressed in cyberspace. This move will sow fear, silence criticism, curtail critical thinking,  and make our university vulnerable to all sorts of human rights violations and abuse both in the physical space and virtual space.   

We are taking this opportunity to call on the UPOU constituents and the entire UP community to be vigilant, unwavering, and steadfast in defending our freedom of speech, freedom to express dissent, and our academic freedom that is deeply ingrained in our history as a university.