UP Vanguard joins calls for ROTC return

MANILA, Philippines - The alumni group of the University of the Philippines Reserve Officer Training Corps (UP-ROTC) advanced course has joined calls to revive the mandatory military trainings for college students.

 In a statement, the UP Vanguard Inc. said the ROTC would help the citizens prepare for the expansion of the military for disaster response and territorial defense.

“The 21st century has brought very serious challenges  of insurgencies, separatism, terrorism, syndicated transnational crimes, global financial crises, climate change, territorial disputes and regional power shifts  which cause great concern to the world in general and the Philippines in particular,” the group said.

“The ROTC program prepares its citizens to be the base for expansion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for territorial defense, national security and stability efforts and also for humanitarian assistance and disaster risk reduction and management.”

“It also instills discipline, trains students to become responsible citizens and prepares individuals not only for leadership roles in military service but in civil government and private industry as well,” it said. 

Calls to scrap the mandatory ROTC program mounted in 2001 after University of Santo Tomas student Mark Chua was killed for allegedly exposing the anomalies in his unit.