UP Diliman softens stance vs cops for school fair

MANILA, Philippines - After years of banning uniformed personnel on campus, are officials of the University of the Philippines’ Diliman, Quezon City campus starting to soften their stance on police presence in the area?

During a dialogue last week involving students, campus security personnel and officials of the Quezon City Police District, professor Edgardo Dagdag echoed the “request” of students to have the state university’s Sunken Garden inspected for pillboxes and other explosive devices in preparation for the five-day UP Fair, which will start on Feb. 12. Two campus workers were injured when a pillbox exploded while they were digging near Palma Hall last Jan. 28.

The yearly gathering is marked by concerts every night of the five-day affair.

“Maybe the police could pan the venue of the UP Fair and its periphery,” Dagdag said in the presence of QCPD officials, led by its director, Senior Superintendent Richard Albano.

In response, Albano made the commitment to send his men to guard the site of the student gathering.

“Just tell us where and we will be there,” Albano, who had earlier asked the UP Diliman administration to soften its stance on completely banning policemen inside the campus.

UP Diliman Student Council chairperson Heart Diño also asked the police to search for other explosive devices, including vintage bombs, at the Sunken Garden.

“The Sunken Garden is also being used in other UP activities,” Diño said.

Text me, maybe

During the gathering, Albano even gave the students who attended his personal cell phone number, 0917-7101984. QCPD Station 9 commander Superintendent Richard Fiesta, who station covers the UP campus, also gave his number, 0920-9711998.

“We’re just a text away,” Albano said.

Fiesta also asked the student leaders and campus officials to coordinate with the police whenever there is a gathering on campus that needs additional security.

Dagdag said that he proposed last year the crafting of a new memorandum of agreement with the police concerning the presence of uniformed personnel on campus. 

He was quick to note that the agreement “should respect UP’s sacred tradition. And what is that? Our being activists.”

Dagdag said this should be “balanced” with the university’s “relationship” with those from outside the campus, noting that the police and the military should be treated as “friends.”

Crimes occurring in the campus have resulted in calls for the university to rethink its policy of completely banning the police on campus.

Three persons were killed in an armored van robbery outside the Bahay ng Alumni a few years ago. Last year, a female student leader was robbed and stabbed in the UP Student Council office at Vinzons Hall.