MANILA – Rumesbak ang ilang malalaking unibersidad sa National Capital Region (NCR) matapos bansagang “recruitment haven” ng New People’s Army (NPA) ni Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr.
Sa isang joint statement, sinabi ng mga opisyal ng Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), De La Salle University (DLSU), Far Eastern University (FEU), at University of Santo Tomas (UST) na “iresponsable” ang paratang ng National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) dahil wala naman itong basehan.
“This charge, though, is really “getting old”—a rehash of the public accusation the general made in 2018—irresponsibly since cast without proof.”
Nitong Sabado nang pangalanan ni Parlade sa isang panayam ang 18 unibersidad at kolehiyo na sentro umano ng recruitment ng NPA.
Pahayag ito ng military official matapos ibasura ng Department of National Defense ang “UP-DND Accord.”
Pero ayon sa university officials, pinahahalagahan nila ang Constitutional right ng pagtitipon-tipon, organisasyon at malayang diskurso bilang mga paaralan sa Pilipinas.
“As universities with high aspirations for our country, we seek to direct our students to engage in acts that contribute to the strengthening of social cohesion, defend the country’s democratic institutions, and promote nation-building.”
“And as institutions of higher learning that are stewards of the youth, repositories and producers of knowledge, and builders of communities, we must retain independence and autonomy from the State and other social institutions.”
Ayon sa mga unibersidad, hindi nila sinusuportahan at kinukunsinte ang kahit anong aktibidad ng mga rebeldeng NPA. Pati na ang mga naglalayong patalsikin ang gobyerno.
“We take as a sacred trust our primary responsibilities to promote learning and safeguard the rights of the young who are entrusted to our care. We are committed to this mission and have always held ourselves accountable to our primary constituents, the learners, and by extension, their parents.”
Kabilang sa mga nagpahayag ng statement sina Ateneo President Fr. Roberto Yap, SJ; De La Salle President Bro. Raymundo Suplido, FSC; FEU President Dr. Michael Alba; at UST Vice Rector Fr. Isaias Tiongco, OP.
Bukod sa apat na unibersidad, idinawit din ni Parlade sa kanyang walang basehan na pahayag ang: Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), at University of Makati.
