CITY OF ILAGAN, Isabela, Jan. 25 (PIA) - The 5th Infantry Division, Philippine Army (5ID, PA) based in Gamu town has expressed its support to the decision of the Department of National Defense (DND) terminating the 1989 University of the Philippines (UP) — DND agreement.
Maj. Gen. Laurence Mina, 5ID commander said the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) has been targeting the students of UP as student-activist recruits and CPP-NPA cadres.
“Many bright students have lost their lives in armed encounters blinded by the crooked ideology. It is along this concern that the security forces would want to protect the youth in their pursuit of academic excellence without curtailing their right to express their sentiments,” he said.
Mina said the termination of the agreement is not mean to suppress academic freedom as he cited the State Universities in the Area of Responsibility of 5ID that has been enjoying the same even without any accord or agreement like the UP.
“Education and freedom are for everyone. It is for every Filipino to freely express their dissatisfaction to the government without involving themselves in armed revolution which is a different story,” Mina said.
The 5ID, PA Commander also pledged that the soldiers will always protect the students from CPP-NPA recruitment in partnership with the different schools and universities in its area of operations. (BME/MGE-PIA-2/Isabela)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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