House OKs bill requiring ROTC for senior high students on 2nd reading

The House of Representatives approved on second reading the bill that makes it mandatory for senior high school students to undergo the Reserved Officers Training Program (ROTC) program.

Voting via "ayes" and "nays," the chamber approved House Bill 8961 that mandates the institutionalization, development, training, organization and administration of basic ROTC for Grades 11 and 12 in both private and public educational institutions.

The bill primarily aims to inculcate the spirit of nationalism, nation-building, and national preparedness among the Filipino youth.

Under the measure, the mandatory Basic ROTC program for Grades 11 and 12 will be a pre-requisite for graduation.

However, exempted from going through the program are students who are physically or psychologically unfit, as certified by the Armed Forces of the Philippines Surgeon General or his medical officer, those who have undergone or are undergoing similar military training, those who were chosen to to be part of the school's varsity, and those exempted from training for valid reasons by the Department of National Defense.

The measure also tasks the Secretary of National Defense, in consultation with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), to prescribe the organization and operational manual of ROTC units.

Nueva Ecija Representative Rosanna "Ria" Vergara also inserted amendments to the measure before it was approved on second reading.

These include a provision ensuring that the ROTC will "instill patriotism, love of country, moral and spiritual virtues, respect for human rights, and adherence to the Constitution."

"In no way shall the ROTC be used for political aims, to teach and instill a particular ideology and as a mechanism for hazing and abuse," Vergara added.

Vergara also sought to remove the provision that makes it mandatory for all public and private university, college and similar higher learning institutions to offer and provide a training school for advanced ROTC program.

Kabataan party-list Representative Sarah Elago, however, opposed the approval of the measure.

"Instead of addressing the woes on basic education caused by and worsened by K to 12, Duterte and Congress prioritize subjecting students to mandatory military service or ROTC instead, which is a hotbed of abuses and has a long history and culture of abuse, corruption, and impunity," she said.

President Rodrigo Duterte has long supported the revival of the ROTC, saying that he would even consider issuing an executive order for it.

The ROTC was in place through the directive of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, who declared martial law in the country in September 1972. — BAP, GMA News