CAGAYAN de Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez today challenged the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to terminate the recent academic collaborations between Philippine universities and their Chinese counterparts.
The call comes amidst ongoing territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea.
In a strong statement, Rodriguez criticized the CHED and its chairman, Prospero de Vera, for their continued engagement with Chinese institutions.
“We have been protesting Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea," said Rodriguez adding that yet, the CHED, headed by Mr. de Vera, is moving in the opposite direction by nurturing relationships with Chinese universities.
Rodriguez further asserted that the CHED's collaborations send an incorrect message – that the country does not stand united against China's intimidation and bullying in the disputed maritime area.
He urged the CHED and De Vera to follow the military's lead, which has ceased sending officers to China for educational or social visits or conducting joint patrols within Philippine waters.
We cannot behave as CHED and our universities are doing without risking our sovereignty. We must stand firm with our military, according to Rodriguez.
"We cannot allow a bully to intrude into our own backyard, especially one that refuses to respect our territorial rights despite international rulings," he emphasized.
Instead, Rodriguez recommended that Philippine universities establish partnerships with institutions in countries that support the Philippines' rights over its 200-mile exclusive economic zone.
These countries include the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Australia, which have backed the Philippines' claims under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the international arbitral award in 2016.
Recently, Rodriguez, accompanied by the board of regents of the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP), visited Seoul, South Korea.
During the visit, they solidified a partnership agreement with Korea University and Sogang University, two of South Korea's top-tier higher education institutions.
USTP's President, Butch Cultura, signed the agreements on the university's behalf.
The main campus of USTP is located in Cagayan de Oro City, Rep. Rodriguez's constituency.
The newly established partnerships aim to bolster USTP's research and development programs and provide faculty training at Sogang University.
Moreover, the agreement will enable USTP students to study under scholarships at Sogang University for three-year diploma courses, following successful completion of an online Korean language proficiency course, Rep. Rodriguez explained.
