Opinions against Cebu City ordinance

Faculty Regent Carl Marc Ramota expressed concern over the proposed “Anti-Violence and School Safety Ordinance” in Cebu City, saying it is a violation of academic freedom and institutional autonomy of the University of the Philippines (UP) as enshrined in its Charter, R.A. 9500. The proposed city ordinance requires all schools, universities and other institutions of learning in Cebu City to submit a list of their calendar of activities and events for the incoming school year to the Cebu City Police Office.

The proposal came in the wake of the abduction of UP Cebu lecturer Armand Jake Dayoha, and alumna, April Dyan Gumanao on January 10, 2023 at the Cebu City port area. Dayoha and Gumanao were located six days after with the help of the UP Cebu administration.

Ramota warned that the proposal meddles in the internal affairs of institutions of learning, and may lead to unwanted intrusion in academic spaces. The Faculty Regent added that the police does not have the authority and should not be allowed to intervene, even regulate school and university activities, a power that is reserved to academic councils and university boards. He instead called on local authorities to focus on the case at hand, and ensure immediate and impartial investigation on the recent abduction.

Ramota is scheduled to convene a system-wide consultative meeting in UP Manila on February 2 to discuss the proposal for the institutionalization of the Committee to Protect and Uphold Academic Freedom and Human Rights, both at the UP System and constituent university levels, and other programs promoting democratic governance in the University.

Office of the Faculty RegentUniversity of the Philippines

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The Network in Defense of Historical Truth and Academic Freedom rejects a proposed Cebu City Ordinance that would require all schools, universities, and other institutions of learning to submit their calendar of activities to the Cebu City Police Office, in order for the police to deploy units or personnel for every event in schools and universities based on the submitted list purportedly as an anti-gun violence and school safety measure. Schools would be mandated to submit a list and designated time of school events, as well as the expected number of attendees a week before any event. Sanctions to ensure compliance are also being proposed.

Safety in schools and campus is important and we understand that this draft ordinance is in response to a recent violent campus incident. However, the proposed measure is disproportionate to the issue and raises other concerns. There is no justifiable need for state security forces to monitor such information beyond what would already be accessible to the public, much less require institutions of learning to hand them over. Such a practice would violate the academic freedom that the Philippine Constitution protects in Article XIV, as well as freedom of expression and association. We support the statement of the All University of the Philippines Academic Employees Union-UP Cebu Chapter and stand in solidarity with Cebu City’s schools, universities and educational institutions against this and other encroachments on their academic freedom. We are dismayed at the recent abduction of University of the Philippines-Cebu lecturer Armand Jake Dayoha and alumnus April Dyan Gumanao, and call on the authorities for a full and impartial investigation and support the statement of UP Faculty Regent on the matter.

Network in Defense of Historical Truth and Academic Freedom