Prioritize ROTC bills, CHED asks Congress

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) called on the incoming Congress yesterday to speed up deliberations on two pending bills that seek to restructure the Reserved Officer’s Training Course (ROTC).

Dr. Ester Garcia, CHED chairperson, said they hope that the new legislators will give priority to the "demilitarization" of the ROTC.

"There is a pending bill each in the Senate and the House of Representatives. The plan to restructure the ROTC started three or four years ago so we hope (the bills) will be passed soon," she said.

The Senate bill was authored by former Sen. Orlando Mercado, and the House version by Batanes Rep. Florencio Abad.

Moves to reform the ROTC snowballed following the death of University of Sto. Tomas student Mark Chua who was brutally slain after exposing alleged corrupt practices by ROTC officers.

Chua revealed that ROTC officers were collecting money from cadets in exchange for passing grades.

The CHED is proposing that the ROTC be made an optional course for private school students who can choose between military training, civil welfare or law enforcement service.

These reforms, however, will be applicable only to private colleges and universities. The ROTC will be mandatory for students of state colleges and universities and other government-run schools.

"Unless Congress sees it fit to make the law applicable and sweeping to all students, we support any move to restructure the ROTC," she added.

CHED executive director Roger Perez described the National Defense Act, the law that provides for the ROTC, as "discriminatory."

Perez said the law’s ROTC component covers only "able-bodied" students enrolled in four-year courses. Out-of-school youths and those taking two-year courses are not required to take up ROTC.