The students of Jose Maria College Foundation, Inc. (JMCFI) called on the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Legal Education Board (LEB), and the Department of Education (DepEd) to stand on the right side of history amid the ongoing tensions caused by a police raid in search for Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo C. Quiboloy.

“Your silence amid these attacks on academic freedom and the right to education is complicit in emboldening these abuses,” a group statement issued on Wednesday read.

The statement added: The inaction of our educational agencies sends a dangerous message—that the oppression of academic spaces is tolerable and that students' fundamental rights are negotiable.”

In condemning the state-sponsored assaults on the right to education and academic freedom, the group urged CHEd, LEB, and DepEd to take decisive action.

“The continued presence of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on our campus is an egregious violation of the constitutional guarantees to a safe and conducive learning environment,” it added.

JMCFI, a legitimate private educational institution inside the KOJC compound, is home to over 1,000 hopeful scholars from marginalized communities who rely on it for a better future.

JMCFI students are part of a diverse academic community that has produced exceptional professionals: lawyers, doctors, engineers, psychologists, and even police officers.

“Yet, their right to education is being trampled by the PNP’s unjust and intrusive presence on our campus, which has turned educational spaces into zones of fear, harassment, and intimidation,” the group said.

It added that the PNP's wanton display of power and abuse of authority suffocates the freedom to learn, undermines the pursuit of academic excellence, and creates a chilling effect that threatens JMCFI and the very essence of education as a tool for empowerment.

“The disruption of classes, the invasion of our classrooms, libraries, and offices—these actions are an affront to our institution’s autonomy and a gross violation of our rights,” the statement further read.

The group said CHEd, LEB, and DepEd, as enforcers of education policy, must act now to protect institutions like JMCFI from state aggression.

CHEd, LEB, and DepEd, the groups said, must assert their authority and ensure that no educational institution in the Philippines becomes a battleground for state power.

“We demand the protection of our right to education and the preservation of academic freedom,” their statement added.

It said JMCFI is independent and separate from any religious affiliation and must thus be respected.

The group cited DepEd’s National Policy Framework on Learners and Schools as Zones of Peace (DepEd Order No. 032, s. 2019), which mandates that schools should be free from armed combatants and must remain safe spaces for learners – a policy that must be enforced, not ignored.

“We demand immediate action to end this overreach and restore the sanctity of our campus,” the group said, reaffirming their commitment to upholding the rule of law and defending the rights of students. (AAA)