Manila Bulletin
Philippines
National
Stop 'sugarcoating' mandatory ROTC, youth tells bill's proponents
Philippines
National
Stop 'sugarcoating' mandatory ROTC, youth tells bill's proponents
Stop 'sugarcoating' mandatory ROTC, youth tells bill's proponents
Published May 10, 2023 08:14 am
A youth group urged the proponents of the bill to revive the mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) to quit “sugarcoating” the proposal as a disaster response program for the youth and instilling patriotism, discipline, and volunteerism.
Student-leaders from various universities and colleges hold a protest in front of the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City on May 10, 2023 to call for the scrapping of the Senate bill to reinstate the Mandatory Basic Reserved Officer’s Training (ROTC). (ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN)
Members of the Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK), an activist youth organization, staged a protest of the Senate building on Wednesday, May 10, denouncing the program as “expensive, dangerous, and unnecessary.” The group reiterated its opposition to the mandatory ROTC and vowed to intensify its efforts to block the passage of the proposal in Congress following the meeting between President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. and United States President Joe Biden. SPARK slammed the meeting for “placing the youth closer to the crosshairs of an impending conflict between the United States and China.” “We adamantly refuse to be cannon fodder for this administration,” said SPARK National Coordinator John Lazaro. “The truth about war is that it is often the decision, not of the people, but of the economic elites,” he added.
Student-leaders from various universities and colleges hold a protest in front of the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City on May 10, 2023 to call for the scrapping of the Senate bill to reinstate the Mandatory Basic Reserved Officer’s Training (ROTC). (ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN)
SPARK also called for an end to the military posturing in Southeast Asia and for all states involved to commit to peaceful conflict resolution. Lazaro alleged that the impending return of mandatory ROTC was part of the Philippines’ pivot toward war. “For the good of the hundreds of millions of people with no say in the matter, we must commit to peace and the revival of mandatory ROTC is not a part of it,” he added.
Student-leaders from various universities and colleges hold a protest in front of the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City on May 10, 2023 to call for the scrapping of the Senate bill to reinstate the Mandatory Basic Reserved Officer’s Training (ROTC). (ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN)
Members of the Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK), an activist youth organization, staged a protest of the Senate building on Wednesday, May 10, denouncing the program as “expensive, dangerous, and unnecessary.” The group reiterated its opposition to the mandatory ROTC and vowed to intensify its efforts to block the passage of the proposal in Congress following the meeting between President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. and United States President Joe Biden. SPARK slammed the meeting for “placing the youth closer to the crosshairs of an impending conflict between the United States and China.” “We adamantly refuse to be cannon fodder for this administration,” said SPARK National Coordinator John Lazaro. “The truth about war is that it is often the decision, not of the people, but of the economic elites,” he added.
Student-leaders from various universities and colleges hold a protest in front of the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City on May 10, 2023 to call for the scrapping of the Senate bill to reinstate the Mandatory Basic Reserved Officer’s Training (ROTC). (ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN)
SPARK also called for an end to the military posturing in Southeast Asia and for all states involved to commit to peaceful conflict resolution. Lazaro alleged that the impending return of mandatory ROTC was part of the Philippines’ pivot toward war. “For the good of the hundreds of millions of people with no say in the matter, we must commit to peace and the revival of mandatory ROTC is not a part of it,” he added.