The suspect in the killing of a freshman student of Iloilo State College of Fisheries (ISCOF) due to an altercation over a missing wallet last March 11 has nothing to do with the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program.
This was bared by Naval Reserve Public Affairs Office officer-in-charge Lt. Cmdr. Joseph T. Bernaldez in a statement late Tuesday.
"Based on the initial information gathered, a certain Elmer Decilao, 22, a 4th year college student of the Iloilo State College of Fisheries (ISCOF) and initially identified as an ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) commander allegedly killed his freshman roommate, a certain Willy Amihoy, 23, after the latter accused the former of stealing his wallet," he added.
The incident took place Monday afternoon at the ISCOF dormitory in the Dumangas Campus, he added.
"While the Philippine Navy (PN) condemns what transpired and condoles with the family of the victim, we aim to set the public (perception) straight that the alleged perpetrator, during the commission of the crime, is no longer involved in any ROTC activities/program of the school being a graduating student," Bernaldez stressed.
He also said that the ROTC program plays a vital role in sustaining Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) Reserve Force as critical part of keeping peace and development in the country.
Meanwhile, AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, in a message to reporters Wednesday, said what took place in ISCOF is a "plain criminal act that sprung from an altercation between two private individuals over personal matter."
Arevalo noted that Decilao, who is now under police custody, has never been ROTC Corps commander and had been with the ROTC until March 2017.
"There is no way that this is ROTC-related incident or that it could have happened in a ROTC Training environment. This is a distortion of facts and resort to a lie by some groups desperate to discredit both the ROTC program and malign the reputation of the President," he stressed.
Arevalo said that the ROTC, which is being pushed as a requirement for Grade 11 and 12 students, will help instill nationalism and patriotism to the youth and inculcate on them discipline, sense of purpose, respect for the laws, rules, regulations, and the authorities and the elders.
"The youth of today shall be the leaders of the future and imbibing and nurturing these values will redound to the benefit of the next generation," the AFP spokesperson stressed.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1064409
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