Binay fears ROTC revival as cops probe fatal hazing of Adamson student ​

 
Senator Nancy Binay on Wednesday, March 1 expressed fears that the revival of the mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) could pave the way for brutal hazing activities to resume in schools.
 
Binay raised the issue as she expressed her concerns on the death of third year Adamson University student John Matthew Salilig, an engineering student, who reportedly died due to hazing. 
 
Salilig’s remains were found in Imus, Cavite reportedly after one of the suspects tipped off the police. 
 
Binay pointed out that even with the existing Republic Act 11053 or the Anti-Hazing Act in place, hazing activities of some student organizations are still happening.
 
“Wala na ba talaga tayong takot o guilt na manakit ng kapwa (Are we really no longer afraid or guilty of hurting others)?” Binay said in a statement.
 
“Until now—kahit meron ng RA 11053—naririyan pa rin ang vicious cycle of physical abuse, at ibang forms of abuse—tapos ngayon, gusto uli nating ibalik ang ROTC na kilala sa ganyang practices (Until now—even with RA 11053—there is still the vicious cycle of physical abuse, and other forms of abuse—then now, we want to bring back the ROTC that is known for such practices),” the senator noted.
 
“On- or off-campus, our schools are supposed to be safe spaces for our children. But sadly, schools, administrators and even law enforcement agencies fail to seriously check and monitor organizations na patuloy pa rin sa tradisyunal na initiation rites (that still continue the tradition of holding initiation rites),” the senator lamented.
 
Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, chairperson of the Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education, Technical and Vocational Education, earlier said the panel is ready to come up with a committee report endorsing the reimplementation of the ROTC program in first and second year students in tertiary education or college. 
 
The measure will mandate all students, male and female, to participate in the ROTC program. Qualified military reservists in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) would be tapped to implement the ROTC to avoid abuses and corruption, according to Dela Rosa.
The ROTC program ceased to be mandatory and was made optional in 2001 following the death of University of Santo Tomas (UST) student and cadet Mark Chua. 
 
Chua and fellow cadet, Romulo Yumul, disclosed the corruption in the university’s ROTC program in The Varsitarian, back when participation in the program was still compulsory. 
 
It was in March 2001 when Chua’s body was found floating in the Pasig River, with his body wrapped in a carpet, and his face covered with masking tape and his hands were tied.
 
“Kaisa ako sa nanawagan ng hustisya para kay (I am calling for justice for) John Matthew—and those who participated in the violent act must be held fully accountable,” Binay said.
 
Bilang isang magulang, ramdam ko ang kirot na pinagdadaanan ng pamilya Salilig. Lagi kong sinasabi na (As a parent, I can feel the anguish the Salilig family is going through right now. I always say that) hazing has laid claim to many senseless deaths—not to mention the perpetual and unimaginable pain that families of victims go through,” the lawmaker reiterated. 
 
Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, one of the proponents of the measure reviving the ROTC program, said lawmakers will include specific provisions in the proposed law to make sure that no hazing activities will happen in the course of the trainings. 
 
“We will not tolerate hazing in ROTC. There’s no place for hazing in ROTC. Hindi naman ito tulad ng frat (This is not like the fraternity organizations). It is citizen military training. But we can probably include that into the law, a specific mechanism to prevent hazing activities from happening),” Ejercito said.