“CLOY” or South Korean drama series “Crash Landing on You” entered local Twitter’s top trending list on Tuesday after Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana used it as a reference in justifying the termination of the University of the Philippines-Department of National Defense accord.
“Sa UP mayroon silang ala-Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Military can’t enter without coordination. What makes UP so special? Nasa Korean border ba kayo? CLOY is life na ba?” the cabinet secretary tweeted on Tuesday.
“We are not your enemies. We are here to protect our people, especially our youth,” Lorenzana added.
The defense chief was justifying his termination of the decades-long accord that bars state forces from entering the premier state university and its other campuses across the country without coordinating with school officials.
It was signed by then-UP President Jose Abueva and defense chief Fidel Ramos in 1989, which states that the military and police can only enter the campus “in cases of hot pursuit and similar occasions of emergency” or when assistance is requested by university officials.
An earlier agreement, the 1982 Soto-Enrile accord, was signed by then-student leader Sonia Soto and then-Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile.
This agreement was made to protect the autonomy of the university from military intervention, especially in protests where students exercise their constitutional right to free speech as enjoyed in democratic societies.
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UP is known for fostering ideals of academic excellence, nationalism and development and progressive thinking. This has made it famous for being centers of student activism and dissent in history.
Meanwhile, UP President Danilo Concepcion called the defense department’s move “unnecessary and unwarranted.” He urged the DND to reconsider and revoke the termination of the agreement which was done without the institution’s consultation.
“By and large, intellectual and political dissidents in UP have always been in the minority, but it is a critical minority that has historically been vital to the maintenance of a healthy democracy,” he said in a statement.
‘Out of context’
Lorenzana’s tweet left some Filipinos questioning his need to reference a popular South Korean drama in the issue which was seen to be an “out of context” analogy.
This prompted the keyword “CLOY” to land on the microblogging platform’s trending list as social media users decry his popular culture reference amid a real-life initiative with serious implications on academic freedom, according to Concepcion.
“You can’t even protect our sea borders but chose to target those who criticize the incompetence of this government. How 1960s of you. Also, may CLOY ka pang nalalaman, out of context naman,” a Twitter user said, referencing the West Philippine Sea and the maritime dispute involving China.
The military under Lorenza’s department is tasked to uphold the country’s sovereignty and protect its territorial integrity, including areas in the West Philippine Sea.
“This bland b*tch really wants to militarize UP. And stop with pop culture references. Pathetic attempt to appeal to the youth in using Korea and CLOY as your references proves your lack of political and historical understanding of the country and K-Drama,” another online user wrote.
“Napaka-out of context ng banat mo, leave CLOY alone, please lang,” commented a different Filipino.
“Mawalang galang lang ho, unahin po sana natin iyong nasa West Philippine Sea. Iyong nangunguha po ng teritoryo natin. Bigyan niyo po ng pansin iyon. ‘Wag niyo pong gawing reference ang CLOY. Magkaibang-magkaiba po iyon. Nagmamahal, supporter ni Hyun Bin at Son Ye Jin,” another Twitter user shared.
Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin are the lead actors in the popular K-Drama.
“Crash Landing on You” is a 2019 series that tells the romantic story of a South Korean heiress who crashes through a paragliding accident into the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.
She is rescued by a North Korean military officer who helps her hide from other forces until they eventually fall in love.
The demilitarized zone or DMZ refers to the buffer zone between the North and South Korea as established in the 1953 Korean War Armistice Agreement.
The area, contrary to its name, is one of the most heavily guarded places in the world by North Korean and South Korean forces. Skirmishes in the area have broken out between the two for decades.