Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa announced that he is committed to ensuring that the “best of the best” in the Armed Forces of the Philippines will be the ones to manage the implementation of the mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program to avoid abuses and corruption.
Dela Rosa, the chairperson of the Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education, Technical, and Vocational Education, made the commitment after the public hearing of the panel on his Senate Bill 1349, or the “Reserve Officers Training Corps for Tertiary Education Act of 2022,” and five ROTC bills by other senators.
“Parang standard ng PMA ba. Kung gaano kagaling ‘yung mga pinaglalagay do’n na mga superintendent, mga commandant, mga tactical officer ng PMA, talagang tinitingala ng kanilang mga peers, ng kanilang mga colleague na incorruptible, malinis, at magaling, may service reputation talaga, ay ‘yun ang ilagay natin sa ROTC program. ‘Yan ang sabi ko sa kanila kanina,” the legislator told reporters after the hearing.
The former top cop said qualified reservists in the military could also implement the ROTC program and not necessarily AFP personnel from active service.
“And kung kukulangin pa talaga, then, pwede tayong mag-recruit, additional recruitment. Every year naman tayong nagre-recruit ng additional na sundalo so dagdagan natin ‘yung recruitment quota nila,” the lawmaker said.
“Even military reservist politicians and celebrities could be instructors in the ROTC as long as they are qualified.”
Asked by the media, the senator said that even military reservist politicians and celebrities could be instructors in the ROTC as long as they are qualified.
If enacted into law, first-year and second-year students in tertiary education or college are mandated to undergo and finish the basic ROTC program.
The ROTC curriculum will be formulated by the Department of National Defense (DND) in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) based on general objectives and purposes, which include broadening the base of the military reservists that can be mobilized anytime to defend the country, training on disaster risk reduction management and response, leadership training, and education on patriotism and love of country.
“Magkakaroon tayo ng curriculum. So, hindi ito purely military tactics.”
“So, based on these four objectives, magkakaroon tayo ng curriculum. So, hindi ito purely military tactics, siguro 50 percent lang dito o 60 percent ang…military training and tactics, at mayroong portion ito na kino-cover ‘yung mga objective na sine-set natin,” he concluded.
