Twelfth Congress
First Regular Session

SB. No. 1139

Introduced by Senator Magsaysay, Jr.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Republic Act 7077, otherwise known as the "Citizen Armed force or Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservist Act" enacted in June, 1991 mandated the establishment of Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) in colleges, universities and similar institutions of learning. Like Executive Order 207, s. 1940 issued by former President Manuel Quezon and the National Defense Act, the law provided that a course on military instruction, commonly known as the ROTC Course, was made a compulsory portion of college curricula. As practiced today, ROTC training is a course enrolled by male students for four (4) semesters and is a college activity for five (5) hours every Saturday or Sunday.

Millions of Filipinos who have gone through and enrolled in ROTC have branded it "a waste of time." This is to lend credence to the claim of many that we have yet to see a plausible evidence for the dubious theory that training in close-order drill turns people into citizens-soldiers with the skills needed to fight the country's enemy. This may not be surprising after all, for most schools do not have the necessary equipment to conduct decent military training. Note also that the government, in particular the Department of National Defense, never had the funds to upgrade the training being offered.

Others, however, claimed that it is a rich source for milking money. Today, many students who have taken the course can declare that passing the course can be acquired by paying up or making a deal with the commandant, tactical officers or other cadet officers without necessarily undergoing military training. Others subvert the program by getting exemption through medical clearance.

But the evasion of some students to take the course may also be impelled not merely by useless and time-wasting character of the training but also by normal human desire to avoid the verbal and physicial abuse trainees receive by cadet officers. There are reports validated in this respect.

In recent years, ROTC has resulted from a 'simple not useful training' into a venue for gory murder. This year, an engineering student of the University of Santo Tomas, Mark Wilson Chua, was murdered after exposing irregularities in the university's ROTC program.

This legislation seeks to make ROTC an optional course for college students. It introduces choices for them to enroll in other discipline which includes community service, civic duties, law enforcement and disaster preparedness courses. In sum, thus, the bill is aimed at redirecting and guiding students to the ethics of conscientious and patriotic civic and social responsibilities instead of focusing their attention solely on defense and security.

Military knowledge is significant. But equally important is the ability of the young to attain conscious awareness on development work.

Early passage of the bill is earnestly requested.

RAMON B. MAGSAYSAY, JR.