Senator Ronald ‘’Bato’’ dela Rosa chided on Friday, March 3, groups and individuals who called for the scrapping of the bill reviving the mandatory Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC) following the death of an Adamson University chemical engineering student to hazing.

“What a desperate move from anti-ROTC leftist group. What is the connection? The victim died because of fraternity hazing and not of ROTC training," Dela Rosa, a Philippine Military Academy (PMA) graduate, pointed out.

Dela Rosa is chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education, Technical and Vocational Education which is hearing the various proposals that seek to reinstate the mandatory ROTC program.

The former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief assured that the ROTC bill provides for the establishment of local grievance boards and a national grievance and monitoring committee that will conduct investigations “moto propio” on reported or monitored abuses being committed under the ROTC program. 

Several groups, particularly the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) vehemently condemned the violence that killed  Salilig. 

“He was the latest among our hapless students who fell prey to the violent, macho-fascist hazing culture that afflict school-based fraternities for decades," the ACT group said.

“It was also the same destructive culture that dominated the ROTC especially at a time when it was still institutionalized as a required course, until it claimed the life of UST student and ROTC officer Marc Welson Chua in 2001,” they added.

Chua, a cadet at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) was killed after exposing the corrupt and abusive practices in the school’s ROTC program, through The Varsitarian.

While some support the revival of the ROTC program but making it optional, and not mandatory, Dela Rosa said he believes it will only defeat the purpose of the program.

“Kung gusto natin na ipagpatuloy na gawing optional ang ROTC at kapag tayo ay nilusob ng ibang bansa gaya ng China, gagawin na rin nating optional ang pagdepensa ng ating bansa at isantabi natin ang ating Constitution na nagsasabing tungkulin ng bawat Pilipino ang pagdepensa ng estado (If you want to make ROTC optional, we can set aside the Constitution that says it is the duty of every citizen to defend the country when China invades the Philippines),” Dela Rosa pointed out. 

In a separate statement, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian supported Dela Rosa’s stand, saying the death of John Salilig was caused by hazing which was perpetuated by individuals who have absolutely no respect for the rule of law. 

“The goal of ROTC, on the other hand, is to inculcate discipline and good citizenship among the youth,” said Gatchalian, one of the senators who support the revival of the mandatory ROTC program.

“It is precisely incidents like these that ROTC intends to eliminate by molding our youth to respect our country and one another,” he pointed out.

Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada also believes the ROTC bill being pushed has sufficient safeguards against hazing and other criminals acts.

“Hazing and other criminal acts are also prohibited in the proposed bills reviving the two-year mandatory ROTC program. In my version of the measure, I have proposed the imposition of the maximum penalty under existing laws against hazing,” Estrada explained.

“Hazing is another form of bullying and therefore should never be part of any activity. It has resulted in tragic deaths even until now when we already have a law against it. The Anti-Hazing Law should be strictly implemented. May paglalagyan sa kulungan ang mga gumagawa nito (Those who committed this crime can be prosecuted),” he stressed.

Estrada also said it should be emphasized that the purpose of the ROTC training is to provide the youth with the necessary skills not only in military aspect but more importantly in disaster preparedness and response to calamities. 

“The discipline and proper attitude that the training imbibes in the students are also part of the life skills that will be helpful to them in all aspects of their lives,” he said.

“Hindi kailangan mangyari ang hazing sa ilalim ng ROTC program at hindi natin papayagan na isagawa ito sa ilalim ng panukalang ROTC program (Hazing activities will not happen under the ROTC program and we will not allow it to happen under the proposed ROTC program),” the lawmaker stressed.  (With reports by Mario Casayuran)