THE planned revival of the Reserve Officer Training Corps was discussed yesterday when Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte met with top officials of the Armed Forces and the PNP.
In a press briefing, Duterte said the revival of ROTC not only in high school but also in tertiary education was among the topics discussed when she hosted a lunch-meeting with major service commanders at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan, DepEd Central Office in Pasig City.
“Napag-usapan po and ideas were exchanged with regard to ROTC not only in basic education but in higher education as well,” Duterte said.
“Kasama din sa napag-usapan ang mga ways forward to give meat to the declaration ng ating Pangulo na ibalik ang ROTC as mandatory requirement for citizens,” she added.
But Duterte, one of those pushing for the return of mandatory ROTC, declined to provide additional details.
Attending the meeting were AFP Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., acting Air Force Commandant Maj. Gen. Arthur Cordura, Navy Vice Commander Rear Admiral Caesar Bernard Valencia, PNP Deputy Chief for Administration Lt. Gen. Jose Chiquito Malayo, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Artemio Abu, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology Chief Dir. Allan Iral, and Bureau of Fire Protection Dir. Louie Puracan.
In his first State of the Nation Address last July, President Marcos Jr. pushed for the revival of the mandatory ROTC program for senior high school students, naming it as one of the priority measures of his administration.
Mandatory ROTC was scrapped in 2002 following the enactment of Republic Act 9163, or the act establishing the NSTP.
The ROTC was scrapped after the March 2001 killing of University of Sto. Tomas student Mark Wilson Chua allegedly by his ROTC handlers after he exposed corruption in their ranks.
Last month, Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Prospero De Vera said his office is ready to submit its proposal for the revival of ROTC in colleges and universities to Malacanang and Congress.
