The move to have the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC)mandatory again is being blocked by some quarters, some are blaming those groups that have been known to be aligned or symphathetic to the reds.
An official of the Armed Forces of the Philippines said the
New People’s Army (NPA) infiltration and recruitment of students will be
greatly affected and reduced.
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"If all students will be made to undergo the ROTC
program, it will definitely reduce the recruitment grounds of the CPP-NPA-NDF
(Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic
Front) and other radical and extremist groups. The students will be enlightened
about the bigger picture and the main purpose of these terrorist groups that
arouse, organize, and mobilize innocent individuals who fall into their
deceitful tactics," AFP Public Affairs Office chief, Col. Noel Detoyato said.
The main purpose of House Bill 8961 acccording to Col.
Detoyato is to seek the reinstatement of mandatory ROTC for all Grade 11 and 12
students, and to to re-introduce patriotism, nation-building, respect for human
rights, adherence to the Constitution, and character development to students.
Having back the mandatory ROTC training does not
automatically mean the student cadets will be deployed in the frontlines or battlefields
of any hostilities.
"To allay the fear of parents, ROTC
cadets are not necessarily sent in the battlefield. They only undergo trainings
inside campus and are taught about basic survival, relief operations, and
nationalism. We have a regular force that conducts operations," Col. Detoyato
said.
He said the mandatory ROTC will always adhere
to the rule of law.
"We will make sure that selected
training officers are well-rounded and not abusive of power," Detoyato
said.
House Bill 8961 seeks to amend for the
purpose Republic Act 7077 or the Citizen Armed Forces of the Philippines
Reservist Act.
Under the proposed bill, ROTC training would
apply to “all students in Grades 11 and 12 in all senior high schools in public
and private educational institutions.”
The House Bill comes with some exemptions: those
who are physically or psychologically unfit; those who have undergone or are
undergoing similar military training; those who are chosen by their school to
serve as the school’s varsity players in sports competition; and those who may
be exempted from training for valid reasons as approved by the Department of
National Defense, upon recommendation by an educational institution where the
concerned student is enrolled.
It also prohibits the use of ROTC training
for any “political” objective and for teaching and instilling a particular
political ideology on students. It also bans hazing and other forms of physical
or mental abuse.
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Report from PNA
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