A youth group reiterated its opposition to the revival of the mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) saying it will not solve the issues faced by students and the education sector in general. (Manila Bulletin File Photo)

“The reinstatement of mandatory ROTC solves none of the current issues that plague our country, especially issues that Filipino students face under our education system,” said Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK) SPARK National Coordinator John Lazaro said in a statement. SPARK reiterated the “irrelevance” of reinstating mandatory ROTC in response to the findings of a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey noting that 42 percent of adult Filipinos think ROTC should remain optional and 22 percent think that it should not be in the curriculum. The Social Weather Report also stated that only 35 percent said that ROTC should be compulsory. “While the statistics from the recent SWS report express discomfort with the mandate, we believe that the numbers would overtake those who say that it would be compulsory had the data included students,” SPARK Spokesperson for Basic Education Sophia Reyes said. “The central data that this and the other recent surveys still miss, however, are the primary stakeholders of mandatory ROTC,” she added. Reyes also noted that “the lack of interest shown by these officials pushing for mandatory ROTC to listen to the voices of students only goes to show that it is only them who will benefit the most out of this bill.” SPARK has been opposing the reinstatement of mandatory ROTC since the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte.