Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana should address the real reason behind the insurgency and not the accord between the Department of National Defense (DND) and the University of the Philippines (UP), former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay said.
“Don't allow yourself to be used as an agent of distraction,” Hilbay said in a social media post Sunday.
The UP law professor believes that Lorenzana is “one of the few cabsecs (Cabinet secretaries) of this admin who's credible and competent."
Lorenzana has drawn flak for unilaterally terminating the 1989 pact between UP and DND that has prevented police and military personnel from entering the university’s campuses without coordination.
The Defense Secretary had explained that UP has been a recruitment ground for communist groups and the accord has prevented police and military from taking action.
However, Hilbay expressed belief that “addressing poverty ends insurgencies.”
“Do that by fighting incompetence and corruption in this government,” the former Solicitor General advised.
“Defend the WPS (West Philippine Sea) vs. traitors,” he added.