Now, many people want the ROTC back!

I was told that the Cebu media would be given a first-hand inside look at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) last Wednesday by the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit Cebu Organizing Committee led no less by Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia. However, I had other more important things to do. In my talks with Gov. Garcia and my TV interview with Amb. Marciano A. Paynor Jr. I was given full confidence that the CICC would be finished ahead of schedule. I believe that the word of these two Organizing Committee officials is more than enough to dispel ugly rumors that the CICC won't be finished on time.

Skeptics remain yet no one took the P500 thousand offer or should I say a bet by Archt. Manuel Guanzon for those skeptics to put up or shut up! But as our newspapers reported yesterday, the CICC is now almost complete with the roofing and other major construction works already in place. Personally, I believe that both Archt. Guanzon and contractor Willy Te Go of the WTG Construction Inc. have put their professional reputations on the line. If they fail to deliver as promised you better believe that no one would take them seriously after this. But if they deliver as promised, they would have the greatest reputations in their respective fields.

* * *

I was reading the editorial of the Philippine Star last Tuesday entitled "On Call for Calamities" which told the story of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and its peacetime role helping the people at the height of storms or calamities… even if their own families too suffered from the disaster. Basically, the Star editorial echoes what we've been writing a lot especially this year for the restoration of the Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC), which the Regional Development Council (RDC-7) have wholeheartedly agreed to have restored.

The editorial bewailed the realities of the AFP today, where they are so undermanned, troops in the battlefield cannot be pulled out for relief work or calamity missions without risks. As the editorial said, "Other countries call on reservists during calamities. The country's experience with Milenyo and previous natural calamities should prompt policymakers to consider proposals to boost recruitment for the AFP Reserve force. There are also proposals to revive compulsory participation in the Reserve Officers Training Corps, with amended rules and safeguards to prevent the type of abuse that led to the abolition of the ROTC. The proposal must not be dismissed outright."

I recall that our good friend, 1st District Congressman Eduardo "Eddiegul" Gullas already passed a bill proposing the restoration of the ROTC, which as we said was overwhelmingly echoed by the RDC two full council meetings ago. But then the issue seem to have died down, until Typhoon "Milenyo" struck. Suddenly the country is having difficulty finding well-trained and disciplined men and women who can be called to active duty in a moment's notice.

Yes, only the ROTC can be called in a moment's notice, not just for calamities, but to help in tree planting activities or deploy them for parades or festivals like the Sinulog Festival. The whole trouble really with this country is that, an institution like the ROTC was suddenly chopped off because of perceived corruption and hazing activities, which led to the death of an ROTC student. That should have been considered an isolated incident, but somehow a media frenzy ensued and like a lynch mob, the Senate and Congress suddenly removed the ROTC from the scene. Clearly this was an impassioned, but not a well-studied reaction to a problem.

Now a lot of people realize the importance of the ROTC in good times and in bad. Let me point out that my uncle, Col. Manuel F. Segura (ret) including almost all of the Filipino guerillas who fought the Japanese occupiers came from the ROTC. Because of their relentless guerrilla operations, the Japanese could never say that they held the entire Philippine Archipelago. So once again, let's get ROTC back in our schools!

* * *

If you believe that the two radio blocktimers who were earlier arrested in an entrapment operation for alleged extortion try have meekly given up to authorities now that they have been caught red-handed, you're wrong. Radio blocktimers Reynaldo "Rey" Cortez and Lito "Bingbong" Solon apparently held a press conference last Wednesday to get back at Philippine Reclamation Authority director Elberto Emphasis (who ordered the entrapment) by asking the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas to conduct a lifestyle check against him. They questioned how Mr. Emphasis was able to possess a BMW sports vehicle and other luxury vehicles and urged the anti-graft office to look into his lifestyle. The two also questioned why Emphasis maintains a blocktime radio program over dyLA when he is a government official. Hmmm, this issue gets interesting every minute! Abangan!