AFP confident revived ROTC would be free of abuse
Published Dec 18, 2019 12:00 am
By Argyll Cyrus Geducos
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) assured the public that there was nothing to worry about the revival of the Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program because they will be implementing stricter measures to make sure that cadets will be safe while undergoing training.
In a press briefing in Malacañang for the first Presidential Silent Drill on Friday, Brig. Gen. Royland Orquia, Asst. Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Reservist and Retiree Affairs of the AFP, said that there were already existing mechanisms to prevent abuses in the ROTC program.
Brig. Gen. Royland Orquia, Asst. Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Reservist and Retiree Affairs of the AFP
(RTVM / MANILA BULLETIN) "We have learned our lessons. We assure you na lahat na mapupunta sa mga (that all those who will be in the) reserve command are the best," he said. "Nagkaroon na po tayo ng mga trainings doon sa mga (We held training for) prospect commandants, doon sa mga maghahawak ng mga (and for those who will handle) ROTC units. As early as last year. We have already conducted different forums and seminars, trainings for our ROTC commandants," he added. Presidential Security Group (PSG) commander BGen Jose Eriel Niembra said that the quality of the cadres assigned to ROTC reserve commands was one of the factors to the earlier downfall of the program. "Ngayon, lahat ng mapupunta sa (Now all of those who will be assigned at the) reserve commands will be the best and bravest of the AFP," he said. Presidential silent drill Niembra, meanwhile, expressed hope that the first Presidential Silent Drill would awaken the interest of the youth in the ROTC program. The first Presidential Silent Drill Competition is set to take place at the Quirino Grandstand on December 20. President Duterte is set to attend the awarding ceremony in the evening. According to Assistant Secretary Joseph Encabo of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS), President Duterte wanted to revive the ROTC program because the Chief Executive believes that it would bring nation-building through well-trained cadets who would take up the program. Waning interest? Encabo, meanwhile, said the youth's interest in the program was not waning. Orquia claimed there were currently 34,000 enrollees of the ROTC program nationwide. "The President believes that it brings nation-building through disciplined and well-trained cadets coming from the ROTC Program. So that’s how the President wants to see and at the same time to gain interest from those students, the ROTC cadets as well to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)," he said. "But on top of that, the most important thing is the value of nationalism and discipline of the ROTC students," he added. Encabo likewise said that a survey among their regional community defense group and reserve commands showed that students were starting to get interested in the ROTC program. "Maybe perhaps because of the program of our very own President and with the trend right now that we are instilling… the President himself, nagsabi niya iyong (He said that) we have to revive our love of the country for our youths. So marami ngayon ang gustong bumalik, mag-take ng ROTC (So there are a lot of students who want to take up ROTC)," he said. According to the event's technical working group chairman Commander Julien Dolor, they were able to solicit the participation of seven service academies, namely the Philippine Military Academy, the Philippine National Police Academy, the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific, the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy, the Philippine Army Officer Candidate School, the Philippine Navy Officer Candidate School, and the Philippine Air Force Candidate School. He added that they had plans to expand the Presidential Silent Drill Competition nationwide to include other ROTC schools. Orquia, meanwhile, said that the drumming up the youth's interest in the ROTC program did not mean that the country does not have enough soldiers. "We have enough soldiers. We have at least 145,000 coming from different major service. But kailangan din nating mag-build up ng (we also need to build our) reserve force natin," he said. No militarization Meanwhile, Niembra allayed concerns that the mandatory ROTC program was a prelude to a military state. "First of all, this is only the start. Militarization takes years to develop. So eto, si Presidente naman (President Duterte) only has two years more so it’s impossible na magiging (that this will be a) prelude ito ng (of the) militarization of the entire youth sa buong Pilipinas (in the entire country)," he said. Niembra explained that what the government wanted to develop was the youth's readiness for any eventualities and not just with wars. "We know that the ROTC and the reserved force of the country is the number one force that we can rely on in case of natural and man-made disasters So ito po yung isang pinaghahandaan natin (So this is what we're)," he said. "We should be able to train our youth for them to be effective rescuers or first responders for natural and man-made disasters na pwedeng mangyari sa atin (that can happen to us), not only sa (in) militarization," he added.
Brig. Gen. Royland Orquia, Asst. Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Reservist and Retiree Affairs of the AFP(RTVM / MANILA BULLETIN) "We have learned our lessons. We assure you na lahat na mapupunta sa mga (that all those who will be in the) reserve command are the best," he said. "Nagkaroon na po tayo ng mga trainings doon sa mga (We held training for) prospect commandants, doon sa mga maghahawak ng mga (and for those who will handle) ROTC units. As early as last year. We have already conducted different forums and seminars, trainings for our ROTC commandants," he added. Presidential Security Group (PSG) commander BGen Jose Eriel Niembra said that the quality of the cadres assigned to ROTC reserve commands was one of the factors to the earlier downfall of the program. "Ngayon, lahat ng mapupunta sa (Now all of those who will be assigned at the) reserve commands will be the best and bravest of the AFP," he said. Presidential silent drill Niembra, meanwhile, expressed hope that the first Presidential Silent Drill would awaken the interest of the youth in the ROTC program. The first Presidential Silent Drill Competition is set to take place at the Quirino Grandstand on December 20. President Duterte is set to attend the awarding ceremony in the evening. According to Assistant Secretary Joseph Encabo of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS), President Duterte wanted to revive the ROTC program because the Chief Executive believes that it would bring nation-building through well-trained cadets who would take up the program. Waning interest? Encabo, meanwhile, said the youth's interest in the program was not waning. Orquia claimed there were currently 34,000 enrollees of the ROTC program nationwide. "The President believes that it brings nation-building through disciplined and well-trained cadets coming from the ROTC Program. So that’s how the President wants to see and at the same time to gain interest from those students, the ROTC cadets as well to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)," he said. "But on top of that, the most important thing is the value of nationalism and discipline of the ROTC students," he added. Encabo likewise said that a survey among their regional community defense group and reserve commands showed that students were starting to get interested in the ROTC program. "Maybe perhaps because of the program of our very own President and with the trend right now that we are instilling… the President himself, nagsabi niya iyong (He said that) we have to revive our love of the country for our youths. So marami ngayon ang gustong bumalik, mag-take ng ROTC (So there are a lot of students who want to take up ROTC)," he said. According to the event's technical working group chairman Commander Julien Dolor, they were able to solicit the participation of seven service academies, namely the Philippine Military Academy, the Philippine National Police Academy, the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific, the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy, the Philippine Army Officer Candidate School, the Philippine Navy Officer Candidate School, and the Philippine Air Force Candidate School. He added that they had plans to expand the Presidential Silent Drill Competition nationwide to include other ROTC schools. Orquia, meanwhile, said that the drumming up the youth's interest in the ROTC program did not mean that the country does not have enough soldiers. "We have enough soldiers. We have at least 145,000 coming from different major service. But kailangan din nating mag-build up ng (we also need to build our) reserve force natin," he said. No militarization Meanwhile, Niembra allayed concerns that the mandatory ROTC program was a prelude to a military state. "First of all, this is only the start. Militarization takes years to develop. So eto, si Presidente naman (President Duterte) only has two years more so it’s impossible na magiging (that this will be a) prelude ito ng (of the) militarization of the entire youth sa buong Pilipinas (in the entire country)," he said. Niembra explained that what the government wanted to develop was the youth's readiness for any eventualities and not just with wars. "We know that the ROTC and the reserved force of the country is the number one force that we can rely on in case of natural and man-made disasters So ito po yung isang pinaghahandaan natin (So this is what we're)," he said. "We should be able to train our youth for them to be effective rescuers or first responders for natural and man-made disasters na pwedeng mangyari sa atin (that can happen to us), not only sa (in) militarization," he added.