Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana is scheduled to meet with UP President Danilo Concepcion next week to discuss the dissolved UP-DND accord.
“I have asked a friend to facilitate my meeting with Atty. Concepcion sometime next week,” said Lorenzana.
According to Lorenzana, he also thought of giving UP the opportunity to explain and answer their questions on some issues.
This is UP’s opportunity to show the government that they are united in providing protection to every Filipino and maintaining peace in the country.
Concepcion first appealed to the DND to consider unilateral abrogation prohibiting the entry of police and soldiers into the UP campus without coordination with its leadership.
According to the Defense chief, the deadly recruitment of UP students is the reason for the termination of the agreement. It is said that it is not fair for students to be affected and die in the wrong fights.
Last week, Lorenzana said in a press conference that UP has to explain why its students were among those killed in encounters between the New People’s Army rebels and the government forces.
“If they can explain that, we will talk. If not, then forget it,” he said.
UP does not owe Lorenzana any explanation – lawyer
Meanwhile, lawyer Wilfredo Garrido said the University of Philippines (UP) does not owe Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana any explanation on why some of its students join the NPA.
“Secretary Lorenzana is being presumptuous demanding that UP explain why some its students join the NPA. UP is not in any way obliged any more than San Beda is obliged to explain why it produced Rodrigo Duterte,” he said.