AFP backs return of mandatory ROTC in colleges, universities

MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) endorsed yesterday moves by the defense department to revive and once again make the Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC) mandatory for all able bodied-male college students.

“As a whole, the AFP believes it (ROTC) should be mandatory,” military spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta said.

Mabanta made this statement following the other day’s pronouncement by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, that making ROTC mandatory once again would help bring back discipline.

In 2002 Congress passed a law making ROTC in all colleges and universities optional following alleged corruptions involving the military program highlighted by the murder of an ROTC cadet Mark Chua of the University of Sto. Tomas a year before.

But Mabanta acknowledged that under the present circumstances while the AFP really sees the need to make the ROTC mandatory, it can only be done if Congress will revise and repeal a law making the program optional.

Under the present tertiary curriculum male students can enroll in the government’s National Service Training Program (NSTP).

“Aside from discipline, we are talking about patriotism and love of country here,” Mabanta said.

The military’s reserved officers corps whose members are mostly ROTC graduates have been the major source of the AFP for its required military commissioned officers. This is to correct the impression that only graduates of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) are occupying the AFP officers’ posts.

Making ROTC mandatory would also increase the much-needed manpower requirements of the military in times of disaster and other service-related activities.