RJ Nieto
In a nutshell, the 1981 Soto-Enrile Accord is a document where then Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile promised UP student activist Sonya Sotto that the military and police would not enter the University of the Philippines without advance notice to senior UP officials. The 1989 UP-DND Agreement is basically a reiteration of the 1981 accord.
The present controversy stems from government’s decision to cancel the agreement, with the Palace argueing that the conditions set in the documents unnecessarily encumber the government. The UP community disagreed and said the agreement is indispensable in ensuring academic freedom.
With these said, let me ask a few questions.