President Aquino has been urged to certify as urgent the legislative measures seeking to strengthen the Reserve Officers Training Corps. (ROTC) to highlight the important role of the citizen armed force in case of calamities, disasters or armed conflicts.
Davao City Rep.
Isidro Ungab, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, and MAGDALO partylist
Rep. Gary Alejano asked Mr. Aquino as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of
the Philippines (AFP) to prod Congress to pass bills which would breathe life
into making ROTC mandatory.
“The Filipino people,
through their elected representatives, call upon the Philippine government to
strictly adhere to the mandate of the Constitution for the defense of the
people and to administer the proper training and preparation of the citizens of
the Philippines in case of calamities, disasters or armed conflicts,” Ungab,
one of the authors of the bill said in filing House Resolution 2571.
He noted that in
a meeting last November 4, Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. expressed
strong support for the passage of bills to strengthen the reserve force of the
AFP.
Aside from Ungab,
Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian, Bohol Rep. Aristotle Aumentado, and
Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon filed measures to revive mandatory ROTC to
strengthen the reserve force of the AFP and to uphold the sovereign territories
of the State and defend the Filipino people during armed conflicts, calamities,
disasters and other national emergencies.
Republic Act
7077, the “Citizen Armed Force or Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservist
Act,” provides that the citizen armed force shall be organized, trained,
developed and maintained as to ensure its readiness to immediately respond to
the call to service and the State shall promote and develop public support to
and awareness of the important role of the citizen armed force as protector of
the people and the State.
RA 9163,
otherwise known as the “National Service Training Program Act of 2001” amended
RA 7077 to abolish the mandatory nature of the ROTC.
In 2001, the
mandatory ROTC was made optional through the passage of the National Service
Training Program (NSTP).
“In order to
create a capable military force there is a need to have a trained citizen armed
force and a strong nationalism in the country,” Alejano pointed out.
He noted that at
the start of the Commonwealth Period, the government embarked on
nation-building policies which included Commonwealth Act No. 1, also known as
the “National Defense Act of 1935” to strengthen the military reserve force of
the country.
Citing Section 4,
Article II of the 1987 Constitution, the former mutineer reminded that it is
prime duty of the government to serve and protect the people and the government
may call upon the people to defend the State and in the fulfillment thereof,
all citizens may be required under conditions provided by law, to render
personal, military or civil service.
“The Filipino
people are likewise respectfully calling on President Aquino to certify as
urgent the proposed legislative measures to strengthen the ROTC and facilitate
the immediate passage of the bill that will hasten the training program of the
youth as future defenders, custodians and leaders of the country,” Ungab and
Alejano said in pushing for the final adoption of the HR 2571.
http://www.mb.com.ph/aquino-urged-to-certify-mandatory-rotc-bill/
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