MANILA, Philippines -- Students and faculty of the University of the Philippines (UP) slammed Israel's latest attack on Gaza as they pointed out that Israel should respect the human rights of the innocents affected by the war.On Thursday night, some 50 members of the academic community placed lit candles in front of the Oblation in Diliman, Quezon City to symbolize their call against the bombings. “The troops should not be targeting civilians and they should not block social services…We urge the UP community to fight the death and destruction in Gaza,” said faculty regent Professor Judy Taguiwalo. In an interview, Taguiwalo pointed out that humanitarian aid should be allowed to enter the war zones in Gaza, where more than 700 people have died in Israeli strikes. UP law professor Harry Roque said the government should not limit its concern to the overseas Filipino workers stranded in the area of conflict. “It's an issue involving the rule of law...You cannot use force without the consent of other nations. If we don't condemn it [Israeli attacks], we are in fact weakening the power of the rule of law,” he explained. Roque cited the cases of alleged human rights violations by Filipino soldiers and policemen, which he said may go on unabated in relation to the ongoing Gaza attacks. “It sends the wrong message. If people see that the Gaza attacks are unopposed, they would think that the aggressors would get away with it. So why should soldiers here respect human rights?” he said. He added: “Combatants should always respect humanitarian law.” Taguiwalo meanwhile said they fully support the Palestinian people and their call to end the Israeli attacks on the Gaza strip, which entered its second week yesterday. Student regent Shahana Abdulwahid, a postgraduate student taking up Muslim relations, noted a double standard in the way other nations express their condemnation of the atrocities. “During 9/11 [the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States], the US was really vocal in its condemnation of the terror attacks, but this time around, the protests are not that loud,” she added. The students, faculty and employees of the UP system are set to create a system-wide alliance next week espousing anti-war protests defending the Palestinian territories. | 
