THE chancellor of the state-run University of the Philippines yesterday rejected the imposition of a curfew as a security measure in the wake of the attempted rape of a female student on the campus last Thursday.
Instead, Chancellor Edgardo Carlo Vistan II pushed for the installation of more closed-circuit television cameras around the sprawling Diliman campus.
“Even if we think about imposing (a) curfew, it will be difficult to monitor. You’re essentially also limiting the mobility of non-student population on the campus,” Vistan told ABS-CBN News Channel.
He added that while he expects resistance to his plan to install more security cameras, it is the right thing to do to ensure the safety of the students.
“There are security concerns and the anti-Big Brother mentality of certain sectors on campus. But I think we will be forgiven if we put CCTVs there,” Vistan said, adding the security cameras should be installed in “hot spots” on the campus.
Additional roving security personnel will also be deployed in different areas around the campus after office hours to ensure the safety and security of the students and the community.
Earlier, Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Prospero De Vera said the sexual assault is a wake-up call to the UP administration to review its security policies, including its coordination with the PNP and other law enforcement agencies.
“This despicable criminal act is a wake-up call for the University of the Philippines to review and rationalize its security and safety policies, including its operational engagement with the PNP and other law enforcement agencies in order to make the UP Community safe and secure,” De Vera said.
UP Diliman, like other UP campuses, has its own police force to maintain peace and order and ensure the safety of its students and faculty.
