Bam Aquino to consult students, parents on ROTC revival

MANILA, Philippines – Before conducting a Senate hearing on the planned revival of the Reserve Officers Training Course for Grades 11 and 12, Sen. Bam Aquino said he would first seek the opinion of students and their parents.

Aquino, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Education, said the students' positions matter. He released the statement after Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol last Tuesday said President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the mandatory ROTC after a thorough discussion of the issue.

Piñol said the president will tell allies in Congress to make passage of the bill a priority. Bills to bring back ROTC will still need to go through the regular legislative process.

The senator urged students, student councils and parents’ associations to speak up on the ROTC by submitting position papers to his committee.

"We will also be conducting an online poll through our social media sites to give students and parents an avenue to voice out their opinion before we conduct hearings on this issue," Aquino said.

There are three bills proposing the revival of the ROTC which are currently pending with the Committee on Education. Senate Bill Nos. 1131, 200 and 189, were authored by Senators JV Ejercito, Sherwin Gatchalian and Manny Pacquiao, respectively.

Meanwhile, Gatchalian, also one of the vice chairs of the Senate panel, lauded Duterte’s decision to approve the urgent legislation of the ROTC revival.

"Instituting a mandatory ROTC program for senior high schools students is a great way to shore up our military's reserve corps while instilling the fundamental ideals of patriotism and public service in the youth. I am definitely willing to sponsor this bill when it is forwarded to the Senate," Gatchalian said.

"The future of this country will depend on the character and virtue of our future leaders. Mandatory ROTC programs at the secondary and tertiary levels will help ensure that the youth of today will lead the Philippines with honor, selflessness, and love of country in the future," he added.

Senate Bill 200, is one of Gatchalian’s first priority bills.

The ROTC became optional in 2002 through Republic Act 9163 or the National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001. — Rosette Adel