A recent Facebook post by the AFP’s Civil Relations Service quotes the views of a ‘Professor’ Michael Castillo on DND’s unilateral abrogation of the 1989 DND-UP Agreement. It includes a picture of Mr. Castillo with the official logo of the University of the Philippines.
The post does not mention Mr. Castillo’s college affiliation, but people might get the impression that he is from UP-NCPAG because of online references that mention him being a Senior Lecturer in the College. In the spirit of truth and fairness, let it be put on record that while Mr. Castillo served as a part-time lecturer for 2nd Semester, AY 2014-2015 and 1st and 2nd Semester, AY 2015-2016, he is not and never has been a professor or a regular faculty member of NCPAG. His views do not represent the views of NCPAG or its faculty.
We deplore AFP’s blatant attempt to misrepresent the UP community by misappropriating UP’s logo, peddling opinion as fact, and generally releasing information without proper verification of its sources. As the primary duty-bearer of our national security, we expect nothing less from the AFP to observe the strictest standards in upholding truth and integrity as it performs its duty.
The NCPAG supports the University’s position that the 1989 DND-UP Agreement should not have been abrogated and dialogues should take place to find a common ground that will honor and respect the mandates of both institutions. We cannot serve the interests of the nation without the university’s Constitutional right and responsibility to exercise academic freedom. The praxis of Public Administration and Governance requires a conducive learning environment where critical and progressive thinking can thrive without constant fear and intimidation. After all, the task of nation-building in a democracy rests on the cultivation of divergent ideas.