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[av_heading heading=’GROUP WARNS VS ROTC VIOLENCE | Students bat for optional training’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Tuesday, April 25, 2017
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ILOILO City – A mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) will further promote the culture of violence and fascism, warned the progressive Kabataan party-list in Western Visayas.
“Given ROTC’s violence-mired history, the culture of impunity is not the kind of nationalism and discipline we want to teach the youth,” said Charmane Chin, vice president for Visayas of the Kabataan.
On the other hand, the president of Central Philippine University’s Masscom Circle, Vivienne Songcayawon, said ROTC must remain optional.
“It shouldn’t be mandatory even if the goal is to strengthen the military force of our country,” she said.
During Sunday’s opening of the Palarong Pambansa at the Binirayan Sports Complex in San Jose, Antique, President Rodrigo Duterte urged the youth to take up ROTC. He said the training would develop love of country and instill discipline on the young.
Songcayawon said students must be given the freedom to decide to take the ROTC or not.
At present, ROTC is no longer mandatory for college students but an optional component of the National Service Training Program (NSTP), a civic education and defense preparedness program.
According to Chin, ROTC was proven irrelevant in fostering discipline, social responsibility and patriotism among the youth.
“Worse, it became a channel for abuses and corruption, bribery, extortion, collection of unauthorized and excessive fees, and physical and verbal violence. It became nothing but a burden to students,” she said.
The President said he was working on a law to restore mandatory ROTC so that the youth “can defend the country when the time comes.” He said those who have undergone training would teach civilians how to handle guns kung magkagulo tayo.”
But Kabataan party-list considered ROTC a “vestige of militarism in our schools” that must be eradicated.
In pressing for a mandatory ROTC, Duterte said, “Who else will defend you? America will not die for you. Kayo ang magpakamatay sa bayan. Kayo ang magsakripisyo.”
Rey Umalay, a former vice president of the West Visayas State University (WVSU) Student Council, said ROTC does not actually teach patriotism but “blind and absolute obedience to state policies even if these are anti-people.”
“Ang obey before you complain nga style bala. Our freedom would become irrelevant,” he warned.
He shared Kabataan party-list’s view that mandatory ROTC would promote a culture of violence like hazing.
“Mandatory ROTC was stopped because of incidents of violence. Damo napatay nga cadets because of hazing, and even if indi na mandatory ga-sige ang hazing,” said Umalay.
He also believed mandatory ROTC was being revived because the government wanted to quell student activism. He warned of the red-tagging of progressive student organizations.
“Basta aktibista NPA dayon. Activists are being harassed, intimidated and placed under surveillance. They are being considered enemies of the state,” said Umalay./PN
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