ON PROCLAMATION 1017

Dear Colleagues in the Faculty, Students and Employees of the University:

     I join the entire U.P. Community -- its faculty members, students and administrative employees -- in expressing our vigorous and active opposition to Proclamation 1017 "declaring a state of national emergency".  Without doubt, for those of us who survived Martial Law, the wording of this proclamation resurrects and brings back to memory many of the Marcos dictatorship's edicts starting with Proclamation 1081. Philippine National Police Director General Arturo Lomibao now invokes a Martial Law edict General Order No. 5, as an implementing order to Proclamation 1017.

     Ironically, as if trying to repeat Marcosian history, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's Proclamation 1017 suffocates democracy to ostensibly defend democracy against the alleged "Leftist" and "Rightist" threat.  Peaceful assemblies, rallies and freedom of expression are being muted; newspapers are being threatened with closure should they cover the activities and views of the opposition.

     This great university of the Filipino people has survived Martial Law and many challenges and threats to its academic freedom of expression and freedom of assembly -- the very foundation of its relentless search for truth and new knowledge.

     In the Spirit of the February 1971 Diliman Commune, let the U.P. Community once again unite as one for the revocation of Proclamation 1017, which is anathema to the existence of a free university.

                                                              Truly yours,

                                                        ROLAND G. SIMBULAN 

                                                        Professor and

                                                        Faculty Regent,

                                                        U.P. System

                                                        25 February 2006