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But the education and defense departments support the proposal to require the ROTC for high school students
CADETS IN TRAINING. Cadets participating in the 2018 Ultimate ROTC Challenge attend the Opening Ceremony before the start of their respective events. Photo by the Department of National Defense
MANILA, Philippines – A former legislator and alumni organization of the University of the Philippines (UP) opposes the proposal to make the ROTC program mandatory (Reserve Officers & # 39; Corps) ) for grades 11 and 12.
France Castro, representative of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, and UP Vanguard Incorporated have expressed concern over the requirement to impose the ROTC on high school students, at a hearing of the committee of the House on Basic Education and Culture, Monday, December 10.
Castro said the ROTC was abolished in 2002 due to reports of corruption within the program.
"Bakit po ba tinanggal" yung ROTC No. 2001 "Kasi maraming nareport na ginagamit ito his corruption … At an early age, natuturuan na bata ng corruption," she says.
(Why was the ROTC discontinued in 2001?) Because of the many reports of its use for corruption … At an early age, children would be exposed to corruption.)
The ROTC had already been set up at the college level, but it was discontinued in 2002 after an investigation showed that a student from the University of Santo Tomas had been murdered after revealing the alleged corruption of the program.
The ROTC was then made optional and voluntary by Republic Act 9163 or the NSTP Act 2001.
The hearing in the House took place on Monday following President Rodrigo Duterte's assertion in November that the ROTC must become a student.
But at the hearing, Castro pointed out that Duterte had stated in public speeches that he himself had tried to avoid the ROTC as a student.
While he was a student at Philippine High School, he would have fooled the military clerk by presenting another person 's medical documents to prove that he was too sick to take the ROTC, l' é pour,,,,,. thus exempting from the obligation.
What is UP Vanguard's position? UP Vanguard – an alumni organization made up of graduates of UP ROTC courses – also does not want it to be compulsory between grades 11 and 12, but that the group wants the program to be compulsory for students. college students.
"The position of the UP Vanguards is not against the ROTC, on the contrary, we fully support the president's desire to bring back the ROTC. [the bill being discussed now] Actually [is] create a new mandatory military training at the high school level, "said Gilbert Reyes of UP Vanguard.
"We can not use minors as part of the reserve without breaking the protocol … If we pass this bill and we adopt it as a policy, we will be ready to challenge." We would therefore support the ROTC, but we want to return it where it should be – at the tertiary level where young people are more mature, "added Reyes. in a mix of English and Filipino.
Guido Delgado, of UP Vanguard, also said that mandatory ROTC for grades 11 and 12 would violate the Philippines' statement that it had ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, concerning the involvement of children in armed conflict.
"Even worse, the transfer of ROTC in grades 11 and 12 is in fact a contradiction, since high school students are not even qualified for an officer position on the reserve," he said. declared Delgado.
Why does DepEd and DND support the mandatory ROTC? The Ministry of Education (DepEd) and the Department of National Defense (DND), however, support Duterte's proposal.
Undersecretary for Education Tonisito Umali said they had already drafted a memorandum of understanding with DND to implement what the House bills would do. ROTC mandatory offer.
Umali also stated that it had identified the modules to be used and the initial list of schools where ROTC could be required for grades 11 and 12.
"We do not object, we agree with the idea of allowing our senior high school students to follow a program of the ROTC type, where they are not allowed. Country love and good citizenship will be the overriding goals, which will set it in the minds of our students, even if there is a military component training, "Umali said.
But he said the DepEd would support the mandatory ROTC program only if there were no provisions requiring students under the age of 18 to join the reserve forces of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
For DND, its chief legal officer, Norman Daanoy, said that bringing back the ROTC would not lead to the training of young soldiers.
"The House Bill 5113 is not a violation of the international protocol, we do not train child soldiers in war," Daanoy said.
"Before 2001, the ROTC was mandatory. Approximately 800,000 students were enrolled in the ROTC each year. Due to the adoption of RA 9163 or the NSTP law, about 14% of students were enrolled in the ROTC. Where are they now? …. In case of mobilization, we do not know where they are now, "he added. – Rappler.com
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