CPP urges youth to oppose return of mandatory ROTC in schools

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Thursday urged Filipinos particularly the youth to oppose the proposed revival of the mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Course in senior high schools.

"The Party calls on the students and youth to unite and oppose the return of the ROTC," the CPP said.

The CPP made the remark after President Rodrigo Duterte approved the proposed ROTC for Grades 11 and 12 students.

Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said the proposal would be submitted to Congress as an urgent measure.

"The AFP wants to immediately restore  the ROTC in order to serve as training ground for additional officers  in the AFP in the effort to increase the size of the military to be used  in the all-out war against the New People's Army (NPA)," the CPP said in a statement.

"The  proposal claims that its objective in restoring the ROTC is to 'instill  patriotism, love of country, moral and spiritual values, respect for  human rights.' This is pure hogwash," it added.

"The AFP is  the antithesis of patriotism, having been a tool for colonial  subjugation when it was first created by the US imperialists as the  Philippine Scouts," the CPP said.

The CPP said the AFP continued to be  guided by US counter-insurgency doctrine and remain reliant on US  funding and arms support. —NB, GMA News