National defense bill by no means a ‘call to arms’ for Filipinos

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 30, 2022): National defense bill by no means a ‘call to arms’ for Filipinos (By Filane Mikee Cervantes)

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Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre on Friday clarified the National Defense Bill does not require mandatory military service in normal times.

Acidre added that the bill is not a sounding call for Filipinos to arm themselves for war.

The provision in question is under Section 77, Article III of House Bill 11, which states "in relation to the patriotic duty of every citizen to defend the country when obliged to preserve and protect sovereignty, every Filipino, natural-born or naturalized shall be subject to basic, suitable, and sufficient military training and education for a minimum of two years of mandatory military service."

Acidre, however, explained that the bill requires mandatory military service for all citizens only when the President mobilizes the nation “in case of actual invasion or when public safety requires.”

He said any mobilization plan, according to the proposed measure, would conform to the provisions of the Constitution.

“Military service in wartime does not only involve carrying guns and shooting people. There are also priests, doctors, nurses, engineers, and other professionals needed for their service in war. Mobilization in defense of country is a must for any nation to survive. Any patriot knows this,” he said.

Aside from Acidre, other authors of House Bill 11 are Speaker Martin Romualdez, Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Romualdez, and Senior Deputy Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos.

The proposed law provides the mechanism for the coordination of departments and agencies in addressing the multi-dimensional facet of national defense and security.

It also seeks to achieve a common understanding of defense and security issues by providing the facility for consensus building and consultation processes.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1180175