Introduction:

A violent past

Making ROTC mandatory again is also not tantamount to magically instilling

nationalism in the Filipino youth. In contrast, the program has in fact led to countless

violations of students rights.

The ROTC program has long been criticized for being an avenue for continuing

abuse and violence against student cadets. In our education system, in fact, no other

education program holds the most violent record.

ROTC

It should be remembered that RA 9163 or the NSTP Law was passed precisely

due to the strong backlash against the murder of University of Santo Tomas student

Mark Welson Chua, who was killed in January 2001 following his exposition of the

corruption in the UST ROTC program. Since the passage of the NSTP Law in 2002, the

violence surrounding the ROTC has not dissipated.

Back in 2014, students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines

reported acts of violence through hazing and corporal punishment being committed by

PUP student officials. Two of the victims were female.

More recently, a viral video from the University of Mindanao-Tagum showed

student cadets being punched repeatedly in the chest and stomach. These acts of

violence continue, despite the reservist program being optional at present.

The NSTP Law

Republic Act 9163 is an act establishing the National Service Training Program

(NSTP) for tertiary level students, amending for the purpose Republic Act 7077 and
Presidential Decree 1708 and for other purposes. enacted on January 23, 2002- date of

approval and signature of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The implementation of

the said law was due to the murder of Marl Welson Chua in 2001, when he exposed the

corruption and malpractices in the ROTC program.

Section 2 of R.A. 9163 affirmed that it is the prime duty of the government to

serve and protect its citizens. In turn, it shall be the responsibility of the citizens to

defend the security of the state and in fulfillment thereof, the government may require

each citizen to render personal, military or civil service.

In recognizing the vital role of the youth in nation building, the state shall promote

their civic-consciousness and develop their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and

social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and advance their involvement

in public and civic affairs. The youth shall be motivated, trained, organized and

mobilized in military training, literacy, civic welfare and other similar endeavors in the

service of the nation.

It is a program aimed at enhancing civic consciousness and defense

preparedness in the youth by developing the ethic of service and patriotism while

undergoing training in any of its three (3) program components.

1. Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) is a program institutionalized under

section 38 and 39 of RA 7077 designed to provide military training to tertiary-level

students in order to motivate, train, organize and mobilize them for defense

preparedness.
 2. Literacy Training Service (LTS) is a program designed to train students to

become teachers of literacy and numeric skills to school children, out-of school youth

and other segments of society in need of their services.

3. Civic Welfare Training Services (CWTS) refer to the programs or activities

contributory to the general and betterment of life for the members of the community or

the enhancement of its facilities, especially those devoted to improving health,

education, environment, entrepreneurship, safety, recreation and morals of the citizenry.

CHEDs stand

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chair Patricia Licuanan is not yet sold

on the proposed revival of the mandatory Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)

program in higher education.

Chief Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo earlier said there was "consensus" among

Cabinet officials after Presindet Rodrigo Duterte threw his support for the proposal.

While she did the presentation on the ROTC before the Cabinet, Licuanan on

Friday, August 5, clarified that CHED did not initiate the proposal but was only made to

report on it after Duterte mentioned the program in his first State of the Nation Address

(SONA).

"I really would need more information. I really feel that the first two action points

are very important, but we accept the fact that there is a strong support for it," she said,

referring to CHED's list of possible options for strengthening ROTC:

1. Impact study of National Service Training Program (NSTP) and on the decline

of reservists;

2. Review proposals on possible restoration of mandatory ROTC;

 3. Issuance of CHED memo to state universities and colleges requiring them to

offer the ROTC component pursuant to the NSTP law;

4. Incorporate ROTC in certain courses (criminology, maritime studies, etc);

5. Basic and advanced ROTC leading to Associate Degrees;

6. Additional student financial assistance programs as incentive for students who

choose ROTC But judging from that Cabinet meeting, Licuanan said the proposal will

"inevitably" move forward.

"Realistically, [Duterte] wants it, but I don't know if he will push [for] it right away,

but we might as well do the groundwork," she added.

"The major points I think for ROTC is the need for a reserve force and that can

be called upon during times of emergencies not just war, but various types of

emergencies, and we do not have that," Licuanan said.

But given the history of the mandatory ROTC, she noted that those in favor of the

proposal will have to answer one question.

"How will this mandatory ROTC be different from the way it was before, and how

can we strengthen it so that the program is not just marching around under the hot sun,

but...it really develops certain skills that you need in a reserve force?"

CHED is already forming technical working groups that will study the proposal

and the implementation of the existing NSTP law.

"I fully subscribe to the fact that developing love of country and patriotism can be

achieved in many ways, and not just through ROTC," Licuanan said.
Necessity:

We firmly stand that it is not necessary to implement the mandatory ROTC

among college students. First, we are overstocking the manpower if we will do so. The

labor force may be of a good quantity but how about the quality? It is like playing chess.

I would rather have skilled officials changing and fighting the game rather than pawns

that only serves as shield to guard the authorities.

Second, I appreciate the fact that yes, war is inevitable. But have we considered

the factors that might result to this undertaking? Implementing the ROTC might give the

notion to China and other countries that we are preparing for war. It contradicts the fact

that we are insisting peace talks yet we anticipate war towards them.

Third, it is evident that the number of enrolees in the ROTC program drastically

change over the years. It proves that some students do not like the image of ROTC in

the country. Factors relating to it might be the abusive history it holds, the physical

trainings and all. So now, why bring back something that was already changed in the

first place? It all boils down to the fact that not all Filipinos are capable of heavy

trainings and physical drills. Haven't we considered their preference in terms of

nationalism and sacrifice for our country?

Akbayan Youth Chairperson Rafaela David exclaimed, At such a young age,

ROTC exposes the youth to grueling and violent hazing practices, from physical to

psychological abuse, to instill in them fear and blind obedience. Worse, it is their fellow

youth who becomes perpetrators of this cyclical system of abuse. It is not love of

country nor discipline that ROTC instills in the youth, but the greed for power and

bullying.
 The group also urged the government to promote democratization within schools,

and not militarization, which they said only silences the youth.

The colleges and universities must be safe spaces for the youth, where they can

learn how to responsibly use their freedoms and learn how to be active citizens.

Government thus must promote other citizenship-based education courses and

community service programs that instead empowers the youth to act and creatively

express their solidarity with their fellow Filipinos, not programs such as the ROTC that

seek to silence, disempower and force the youth to conformity she concluded.

Quantity or quality?

Its clear that mandatory models of reserve force build-up imply considerable

cost, notably IF the country aims to build a well-trained reserve force. Hence proposals

to push for mandatory ROTC appear headed for more mediocrity and underfunding,

given that sheer numbers are unlikely to be funded in full.

A scholarship-based program could be more useful in several ways. By providing

partial to full financial assistance and scholarships to young leaders, we could produce

more citizens qualified to serve the Armed Forces after college. Our Armed Forces, in

turn, could use this to boost their skills complement in key areas.

For example, the Tweedale Scholarship program of the Navy ROTC in the

United States provides educational assistance to students majoring in specific technical

fields like engineering, mathematics, computer science, chemistry, and physics. This

type of program helps to attract that countrys best and brightest, and presumably

underpins the continued professionalization and skills-build-up for a modern military

force in the 21st century.

 Canadas Regular Officer Training Plan (ROTP) gives students an opportunity

to obtain both an officers commission in the Canadian Armed Forces and an

undergraduate degree. Under the ROTP, the Department of National Defense pays for

all costs of tuition, uniforms, books, and other miscellaneous fees.

Another alternative is Taiwans ROTC program. The Ministry of Defense of

Taiwan provides monthly stipends amounting to NT$10,000 for those enrolled

(roughly Php 15,000 for their living expenses).

In all these cases, these countries have opted for a high quality and well-trained

reserve force that could be on standby as well as serve as a pipeline of skilled new

leaders for their rapidly modernizing military.

Beneficiality:

Moves to reinstate mandatory ROTC are not new. Since the passage of Republic

Act 9163 in 2002, which made the ROTC program only one of the options under the

National Service Training Program (NSTP), militarymen-turned-legislators have

continually pushed for the reservist program to be brought back to its glory days.

Backers of the move to make ROTC mandatory again argue that it would help

teach discipline and nationalism. Others, like newly-elected Senator Win Gatchalian,

turn to the escalating sea dispute in the West Philippine Sea, saying that the revival of

mandatory ROTC would help drive the point that although we are a small nation in

economic and military terms, we will never back down from our fight for sovereignty in

the West Philippine Sea."

While these arguments may sound good at first, both do not necessarily hold water

under closer scrutiny.

The militarist argument

First, supporters of the mandatory ROTC link the issue to the West Philippine

Sea, arguing that it will ensure that the nation has enough military reservists if ever the

dispute escalates to war.

However, such line of thinking implies that sooner or later, we have to face off

with China, that war is inevitable. It undermines current diplomacy measures being

undertaken by the national government to resolve the dispute.

More importantly, ramping up the ranks of military reservists through mandatory ROTC

does not necessarily translate to a stronger armed forces capable of defending

Philippine territory if push comes to shove.

The move does not answer the fact that we have a vastly dilapidated territorial

defense system, no thanks to the corruption-ridden AFP Modernization Program

which, to date, has spent almost P100 billion for procuring mostly refurbished

equipment.

In a way, the mandatory ROTC campaign may even be viewed as a smoke-and-

mirrors move meant to placate longstanding criticism on our territorial defense

capabilities.

Instilling nationalism?

Finally, there is a need to address the notion that ROTC will be instrumental in

instilling nationalism. Such view limits the definition of nationalism as being able to
defend the nation by learning to wield a gun, a definition that is bereft of historical and

social context.

JP Rosos, national spokesman for the League of Filipino Students (LFS), said in

a statement after Duterte on Tuesday approved the ROTCs return. It is foolish to think

that ROTC through the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) can teach nationalism.

The ROTC through the AFP can never instill genuine love for the country. The AFP is

the same institution that celebrates the incursions and violations of our national

sovereignty committed by US imperialism and its allies. It is even the first one to defend

the port visits and military exercises of US troops in Philippine territory. Worse, the AFP

proudly defended the basing of US forces inside our country through EDCA [Enhanced

Defense Cooperation Agreement] and other lopsided agreements. What love for the

country can the AFP teach when they are the ones who welcome the re-occupation of

foreign entities in the Philippines?

When the 1986 Constitutional Commission was deliberating on Article XIV of the

1987 Constitution, Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said that there are at least three

dominant definitions for nationalism the barangay-Tagalog nationalism which refers

to regionalist notions; the tinikling nationalism which reduces nationalism to mere

symbolism; and a third, more comprehensive type, which he discussed as follows.

Filipino nationalism is the determination to uphold the sovereignty of the Filipino

people, the right of the Filipinos to freely decide the destiny of the nation that is, the

kind of government we should have and who should run it; what is the common good

and how to attain it; how our society should be structured; how the wealth of our land

and seas should be used, developed and shared; and how our culture should be
preserved and enhanced. Filipino nationalism is more than patriotism. It is more than

the love of land and people, loyalty to flag and country and readiness to sacrifice

personal interest for the common good. It is the firm resolve never to allow our people to

be dominated, controlled by foreign powers or domestic tyrants and to oppose

totalitarianism, imperialism, and hegemony with all the means at our command.

That third type of nationalism, the kind of nationalism that the framers of the

Constitution envisioned when they wrote the Article XIV Section 3 (2) which mandates

all educational institutions to inculcate patriotism and nationalism, is precisely the type

of nationalism that the ROTC cannot teach.

For that type of nationalism precisely mandates schools to inculcate, for the large

part, a sense of volunteerism, for students to pursue worthy advocacies and even

activism. What the framers of the Constitution envision is not only an army of young

reservists, but a generation of youth ready to battle against societys ills, including

poverty, hunger, illiteracy, and to a higher level, foreign domination in our countrys

economic affairs.

What we need is a better path for the socio-civic involvement of the youth, a path

that is congruent to the challenges of the changing times.

That path simply does not lead to ROTC. For how can a program that the AFP

once used to install student intelligence networks meant to infiltrate and spy on

student organizations and advocacy groups lead to active socio-civic engagement of the

youth? How can a program that still cannot rid itself of its violent past post as a solution

to apathy?
 Clearly, mandatory ROTC is out of step with the changing times, and the

changing needs of the nation.

Practicality:

Costing better training

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is very lean. Recent figures place our

active military personnel at around 125,000 and our reservists at around 130,000. We

have one of the smallest militaries in the world today at a mere 0.1 percent of our total

population. Compare this to Taiwan whose armed forces number around 300,000

(around 1.3 percent of its population), yet they maintain a reserve force of over 3.8

million based on recent reports.

In the words of a former Department of Education Secretary who will remain

unnamed, bringing back mandatory ROTC will simply produce cannon fodder as

quality is sacrificed for sheer numbers.

Basic skills are necessary for a well-trained reserve force. And these skills cost

money to build up. Marksmanship is one example. If the ROTC program shall be made

mandatory again and if this time they will invest properly in this type of skill the

government would have to provide for the students training on proper handling and

firing of standard issue firearms among all higher education institutions across the

country.

Consider that there are around 1.2 million students in our SUCs. If only one-

fourth of these students receive basic marksmanship training, we are looking at about

300,000 young people to train. According to the Basic US Army Weapons Qualification,
each one of them would have to fire at least 40 rounds, say, on an M16 rifle, the

standard issue rifle of the AFP.

Should this same standard be applied to our ROTC program, the government

would need to spend well over P360 million, an amount never before allocated for

ROTC (to the best of our knowledge). And this is for only one round of training. Expert

marksmen are developed through repeated rounds of marksmanship training.

Holistic disaster relief training is another example to consider particularly since

this is very relevant to our country and the capabilities of its citizens reserve force. To

help illustrate, community emergency response training accredited by the US Federal

Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) could serve as a usual benchmark of higher-

caliber training. The course includes Fire Safety, Light Search and Rescue, Disaster

Medical Operations and Psychology, Terrorism and Disaster Simulation. This training

course costs about US$75 per person.

If we assume a cost of even only one-third this amount (due to purchasing power

parity adjustments), and about the same number of students above, then this would

cost P375 million.

Based on these examples alone, marksmanship and disaster relief training would

cost the country over P0.7 billion based on conservative estimates.

Part of professionalizing the AFP

A well-funded and volunteer-based ROTC program could be more selective and

identify young leaders from different provinces with strong potential to take the helm of

the AFP and other branches of government.

 By allocating resources to key degrees needed by our military for its continued

professionalization and upgrading into a 21st century fighting force, voluntary and

scholarship-based ROTC could be an effective human resources mechanism.

In countries like the US, ROTC has produced leaders like former Secretary of

State Colin Powell, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Henry Hugh Shelton,

and former Army Chief of Staff George William Casey Jr., among others.

Our youth deserve no less than a world-class and modern ROTC program.

Certainly, there are more effective ways to build our young peoples love for our country

than force-marching them under the sun, while making them miss out on the key skills

that they would otherwise need as part of the reserve force.

As we have learned, an under-funded ROTC program is susceptible to corruption

and actually breeds more distrust of government and the military rather than love of

country. Many of our young people are willing to serve, and they appreciate the

Presidents call to service. It is our duty to ensure they can do the job right.

Final Speech:

The clamor to remove the ROTC program in tertiary schools following Chua's

death resulted in the creation of the National Service Training Program (NSTP) by virtue

of Republic Act 9163 promulgated on January 23, 2002. Under RA 9163, ROTC is no

longer mandatory but is still one of the options for NSTP.

"The youth sector condemns in the strongest possible terms the reported cases

of violence perpetrated by ROTC officials. This incident proves that even if ROTC is no

longer mandatory, it still has the potential to grossly violate students' rights. Thus we
now renew our call for the abolition of ROTC in its entirety," said Vencer Crisostomo,

Anakbayan national chairperson.

Anakbayan and Kabataan Partylist also condemned Armed Forces of the

Philippines (AFP) Spokesperson Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala's statement that the hazing

incident perpetrated by PUP ROTC officials was only an "isolated case."

"In past years, there have been many reports of abuse, violence, power-tripping, and

even utilization of student cadets for military surveillance in various schools, belying

AFP's claim that this is an isolated case. The AFP should stop sugar-coating the ROTC

program - violence in the ROTC is a common knowledge. Will we wait until another

death occurs before we act?" Crisostomo said.

ROTC units in schools are managed by active duty officers of the AFP.

In a similar development, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon called on

Congress to immediately pass House Bill No. 3143 or the National Service Training

Program (NSTP) Reform Act which seeks to strengthen the NSTP through the

establishment of additional socio-civic service programs and completely abolishing the

ROTC.

"The reported hazing incident involving ROTC officials in PUP further strengthens

our resolve that the arcane military training program in our schools should now be

completely excised. It is apparent that even if ROTC is now only optional, it is still a

grave threat to students' rights," Ridon said.

"What we need as a nation today is not an army of young men and women

trained in the ways of the military but an army of volunteers and advocates ready to

serve and uphold the needs of their communities and the nation as a whole. In the
present state of affairs, the youth needs to defend the nation first and foremost from

threats of illiteracy and political and social apathy, and the perpetuation of social

inequities that continue to obstruct genuine national progress," Ridon said in the

explanatory note of HB 3143.

"The creation of the NSTP in 2001 has opened a better path for socio-civic

involvement of the youth. However, the current program offering of the NSTP is

arguably limited - and there is an urgent need for Congress to expand its mandate,"

Ridon explained.

"With the expansion of the NSTP, students will be able to render services in a

more varied manner and increase the potential of students of finding their lifetime

advocacy in the process. In providing more avenues for civic service, the government

can truly foster among the youth patriotism, nationalism and selfless service to others

as enshrined in the Constitution," Ridon added.

"Violent acts committed against students should not be taken lightly. This is an

issue that needs to be addressed immediately," said Ridon, who is a member of CHTE.

In any case, Duterte has all the wrong reasons for restoring mandatory ROTC. If

he wanted the ROTC to help in his anti-drug information campaign, he could do that

with already existing structures in the HEIs. ROTC as it stands now is one of the three

options under the National Service Training Program (NSTP) for HEI students. Couldnt

the anti-drug campaign be disseminated and promoted not only in the optional ROTC

but also in the more popular literacy and civic welfare programs?

Going by the results of the anti-drug campaignhundreds and now thousands of

alleged drug pushers killed en mass in what are suspected to be summary executions
of small fry while drug lords and their protectors in the police, military and government

are given official warning and even pleadings and thus the big guns are generally

treated with kid glovesthen the Duterte administration does not need a mandatory

ROTC to help it in its charade.

The President should be reminded that it was because of the same example of

state terror and corruption that led to the abolition of mandatory ROTC. It should not be

forgotten that the ROTC became an avenue for irregularities, including hazing, physical

abuse, extortions and corruption. These unsconscionable practices led to the killing of

UST ROTC cadet Mark Welson Chua in 2001. It was Chua who filed a complaint with

the Department of Defense over irregularities in the ROTC; his complaint was reported

by the Varsitarian and opened a can of worms in the festering program. Shortly

afterward, Chuas body was found floating on the Pasig Riverhis head wrapped with a

silver packaging tape, his hands tied with shoestring and his legs bound by a packaging

tape.

The perpetrators? His fellow ROTC cadet officers who were sons of officers from

the police and military. His killers have been convicted in absentia; theyre still on the

loose a dozen years after their sentencing. One could only wonder why the police,

military and the defense establishment have not brought them to justice up to now!

We had thought that the move to restore mandatory ROTC had something to do

with the need to strengthen external defense as a result of Chinese bullying and

territorial aggressiveness in the West Philippine Sea. But Duterte and his pretender

foreign secretary, Perfecto Yasay, are known to kowtow to Beijing.

 In any case, Duterte and his lackeys in Congress and sycophants in Ched should

be reminded that even as an optional program, ROTC has added tens of thousands to

the reservist pool of the armed forces; there are enough warm and young bodies to

conscript in case of a sudden war with the nations enemies. But that of course is

merely false comfort when one considers that reservists may have been poorly trained

and lacked discipline. Look at the road-rage incident that resulted in the killing in Quiapo

of an unarmed biker in cold blood by an army reservist!

President Duterte must realize that the ROTC program is not the only avenue to foster

nationalism, patriotism and good citizenship.

The kind of military training, which historically has fostered the culture of political

patronage, violence, sexism and machismo, as one lawmaker puts it, does not cultivate

love of nation and service to others; it engenders twisted, even murderous, values as

shown by the hateful history of the ROTC.

To revive compulsory ROTC would restore one dark legacy of Ferdinand

Marcoss martial lawstate bossism and terrorism on campus.

References:

Alcober, Neil A, Manila Times, February 8 2017, Militants slam ROTC in Senior High
School: http://www.manilatimes.net/militants-slam-rotc-senior-high-school/311130/
Arellano Law Foundation, 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines,
http://www.lawphil.net/consti/cons1987.html
Arellano Law Foundation, R.A. 9163: http://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2002
/ra_9163_2002.html
Arellano Law Foundation, R.A. 7077: http://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts
/ra1991/ra_7077_1991.html
Arellano Law Foundation, P.D. no. 1706: http://www.lawphil.net/statutes/presdecs
/pd1980/pd_1706_1980.html
University of the Philippines, National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001:
http://www.uprotc.org/about/ra-9163.html
Department of Education, Rules and Guidelines on the Implementation of DECS Order
No. 52, s. 1993 Concerning the Expanded ROTC Program: http://www.
deped.gov.ph/orders/do-23-s-1994
Hegina, Aries Joseph, August 03, 2016, Student groups oppose making ROTC
mandatory again: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/802468/student-groups-oppose-making-
rotc-mandatory-again
Lim, Mark Vincent, February 8 2017, NUSP condemns Dutertes mandatory ROTC in
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condemns-dutertes-mandatory-rotc-in-senior-high-school/
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Movement for the Advancement of Student Power: http://rotc7.tripod.com/page4.html
Santos, Tomas U., August 25, 2016, No to mandatory ROTC; no to state terrorism,
bossism on campus: http://varsitarian.net/editorial/20160825/no_to_mandatory_rotc_no
_to_state_terrorism_bossism_on_campus

Tucay, Marjohara, August 02, 2016, Mandatory ROTC? How about no?:
http://www.rappler.com/views /imho/141670-mandatory-rotc-how-about-no

Mendoza, Ronald U. and Roylo, Ma. Christine, March 02, 2017, Rethinking the
mandatory ROTC program: http://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/162793-rethinking-
mandatory-rotc-program

The RHK111 Defense Page, August 15, 2016, Dutertes 2017 Budget for the AFP:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/philippine-defense-bulletin/dutertes-2017-budget-for-
the-afp/750284788407165/