Anakbayan condemns the physical assault and terrorizing of three University of the Philippines Diliman (UP) students at the hands of members of the 70th Infantry Battalion-Philippine Army last January 21 in Porac, Pampanga.
The three are all BS Community Development students who were in the community for their ‘fieldwork’, or practicum/on-the-job-training, a requirement for all Community Development students before they can graduate. Among the three is Anton Dulce, 25 years old, who is incidentally also the national vice-chairperson of Anakbayan. (see previous article for the fact sheet/narration of events)
We condemn, in the strongest terms possible, the actions of the military as an attack on academic freedom and the very institution of the University. Due to the incident, the students have been unable to return to the community out of fear of further attacks by the military.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines, in its absolute ignorance, has now resorted to tagging as ‘terrorists’ and ‘NPAs’ anyone who critiques and questions government policies and programs, as well as anyone who tries to assist the rural and urban poor in addressing their various social problems.
It is programs like that of the Dept. of Community Development which continues make UP relevant in understanding and addressing Philippine social problems. Yet the AFP itself is directing its violence against such programs. The military has clearly shown that it is anti-development and anti-peace.
Ultimate responsibility lays at the doorstep of the bungling, incompetent Aquino administration. At the very least, the government’s supposed inability to capture retired general Jovito Palparan, who is responsibility for the abduction of two other UP students (Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan) has emboldened new and more ‘Palparans’, as the Porac case shows. At worst, the administration is coddling human rights violators and allowing soldiers to victimize more ‘Karens’ and ‘Sherlyns’.
We call on the Dept. of Justice to immediately act upon and investigate this incident. Furthermore, we call on the DOJ and the rest of the Aquino administration to end the climate of immunity by immediately arresting Palparan, and prosecuting other ‘butchers in uniform’.
