THINK PIECE #1

CERVANTES, ALYSA O.
CORPUZ, MARK EDWARD
LAGADO, ALLEN GLENN C.
ARCHI – 3A

The reinstituting of mandatory ROTC has long been a debate since former
President Rodrigo Duterte had mentioned it. Duterte said he wanted to require
mandatory ROTC for senior high school students to "instill patriotism" and "love of
country among our youth” (Viray, 2018). Filipino citizens have different opinions as well.
Some people agree while others not. Senator Robinhood Padilla passed a senate bill
regarding the implementation of mandatory ROTC. The reason for implementing this is
to inculcate patriotism and nationalism to youth.

Personally, we think mandatory ROTC should not be implemented. As an ROTC

cadet, yes, it is fun and thrilling and there are a lot of knowledge and skills that we can
learn and acquire upon enlisting or joining in this program such as survival skills, self-
defense, first aid techniques, tactical operations, etc. We will be able to experience the
life of having training daily. Mandatory ROTC should not be the top priority of our
country considering our economic conditions. It will also add up to the expenses of
students when it comes to buying essential equipment, uniforms and other things that
will be used. Considering the standards and curriculum of education, it will also take a
valuable time and energy for students. It will be of hassle to college students to be
physically drained in the training while juggling their requirements for academics. I am
not particularly against in ROTC program but for it to be mandatory, because for me I
think we should not force the people to enlist in this program if they didn’t want to
because they have their right as a human and they have the freedom to choose freely if
they want to enlist in this program or not. Another reason is that we individuals have
different passion and ambitions in life, some of us don’t take interest in studying or
being in this field and some of us may. another reason is about gender, I know we are
familiar in some these cases. One example is that one can be bullied or be
discriminated from being different from the others.

There was a reason why the mandatory ROTC was abolished in 2001. It was
because of the death of Mark Chua, a former cadet of UST. Mark Chua, along with
fellow cadet Romulo Yumul, disclosed the corruption in the university's ROTC program
in The Varsitarian's Feb. 21, 2001, issue (Viray, 2018). Considering the death of Mark
Chua, it can also lead to corruption and abuse of power. The ROTC program, even after
it was made optional in 2002, saw numerous cases of violence against students, which
led to not a few deaths. The program bore a heinous record of hazing, sexual assault,
verbal attacks, imposition of blind compliance, repression, and other forms of physical,
emotional, and psychological abuses (Sign the petition., n.d.). Another reason why
mandatory ROTC should not be implemented is because of students and schools’
safety. It will be disturbing for students to see armed personnel walking around school. It
may instill fear to students. It can also rob a student’s freedom of choice to show his/her
nationalism. We have different ways of showing patriotism and nationalism, military
training is not only the option to do this. Its propensity of training students to be blind
followers contradicts with the education’s objective of developing critical thinking among
the youth. With the police and the military recently charging schools as havens of
‘government enemies’, the danger that they will use the ROTC program to gain access
to schools, surveil, and repress those it deems as enemies of the government is highly
palpable. Schools and civilian spaces must not be used for military purposes (Sign the
petition., n.d.). It is also a Violation of Domestic and International Laws and
Conventions. Considering the average age of senior high school students is 16-18
years old, the mandatory recruitment of minors under the ROTC program is against the
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on the
Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, which the Philippines is signatory and party
to (Sign the petition., n.d.). Looking in a variety of perspectives, mandatory ROTC is not
an option for our country to push it through.

In conclusion, the Philippines must not reinstitute mandatory ROTC. It supports

militarization, violates human rights, and ignores alternatives to traditional national
service. Instead, the government has to concentrate on creating new initiatives that
provide young people the chance to contribute to the nation in ways that fit with their
skills and passions. No one should be coerced into performing national duty. The kids
must be given the tools they need to become engaged, accountable citizens who enrich
society in their own special ways. There are a lot of factors to consider especially to
students’ welfare and safety. Although there are exemptions to the bills, it is not right to
dictate a student to go to path they don’t want. Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr., also
pointed out that the Armed Forces of the Philippines only recruited around 10 percent of
the 400,000 cadets who graduated from the program yearly, indicating, he said, that
most students were not interested in a career in the military (Viray, 2018). Lastly, we are
not in a state of war to implement mandatory ROTC It will just be a waste of budget
when we should be focusing on important problems to resolve. Instead, the government
must concentrate on creating new initiatives that provide young people the chance to
contribute to the nation in ways that fit with their skills and passions. No one should be
coerced into performing national duty. The kids must be given the tools they need to
become engaged, accountable citizens who enrich society in their own special ways.
REFERENCES:

Sign the petition. (n.d.). Change.org. https://www.change.org/p/no-to-mandatory-rotc?

fbclid=IwAR2WkQizKfxX2T0_EkXpD-n7eYDwVUgUw12nf7qNthqDxv71FLsgf9KaBHg
Magsambol, B. (2022, July 26). ‘Added burden to students,’ groups warn Marcos on
mandatory ROTC. RAPPLER. https://www.rappler.com/nation/groups-reactions-marcos-
jr-pushes-mandatory-rotc-sona-2022/
Why ROTC is no longer mandatory. (1970). Philstar.com.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/11/26/1871897/why-rotc-no-longer-
mandatory/amp