Sen. Robinhood Padilla FILE PHOTO / Senate PRIB
Sen. Robinhood Padilla is personally organizing a voluntary basic citizen military training for Senate officials and employees “so they can develop discipline not only for defending the country but to respond to disasters.”
Padilla, a reserve lieutenant colonel in the Philippine Army, said the training, which will run from March to June, aims to establish formal, actual, and physical training for Senate personnel who sign up.
“Those who complete the training will become part of the reserve force of our Armed Forces of the Philippines and will be given military ranks based on their qualifications,” he said.
The former movie actor-turned-lawmaker also earlier revived his call for a mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program amid China’s continuous bullying in the West Philippine Sea.
He said the Constitution clearly states that all Filipinos should be prepared to defend the country at all times.
READ: Robin Padilla launches citizens military drill in Senate
Sen. Ronald dela Rosa shared Padilla’s view, stressing the growing need to enlist more reservists.
“[T]his is our country, we have to defend this country anytime, anywhere,” he said, adding that there is a need now, more than ever, to revive the program, especially amid the increasing tension in the West Philippine Sea.
But Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros saw the need for higher funding and support for military modernization—especially the Philippine Navy—instead of reviving the mandatory ROTC program.
“I think it is not the right policy direction to make ROTC mandatory, especially for our citizens whose ways are different in serving the country,” Hontiveros said in a separate interview, adding that the Senate minority bloc is now preparing its arguments against the proposed move.
Own initiative
Meanwhile, interested applicants to Padilla’s basic citizen military training need to fill out an online registration form.
A checklist for the training includes an accomplished reservist information data sheet, personal history statement, an accomplished diploma from high school or college, PSA birth certificate, barangay, police, RTC and NBI clearances, medical clearance, and drug test results.
Padilla said he is pushing for the recruitment of more reservists through his own initiative as he admitted that he already lost hope on the passage of the ROTC program bill in the Senate.
“Once many Filipinos learn about this reservist program in the Senate, we can probably come up with more programs afterwards,” he said but added that more funding support is needed to recruit more people to the program.
“We don’t have that much budget for the reserve force … I hope that we can add more budget for this program so we can encourage more Filipinos to join the force,” he said.