Duterte mulls mandatory military training

SAN JOSE, ANTIQUE— President Duterte again made a pitch for reimposing mandatory reserve military training as part of the school curriculum.

Speaking at the opening of the 60th Palarong Pambansa at the Evelio B. Javier gymnasium Sunday afternoon, the President said his administration was working on a law that would restore the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC).

Malacañang earlier announced that the President approved the revival of the ROTC for Grades 11 and 12 in public and private schools.

The ROTC is currently not mandatory and only one of three options under the National Service Training Program. The other two options are civic welfare training service and literacy training service.

Mr. Duterte said the program would provide training for citizens who would be knowledgeable in handling firearms when there was violence and anarchy.

He said ROTC graduates could also “teach civilians how to fight.”

The President called the scrapping of mandatory ROTC as “very shortsighted,” since it was triggered by hazing deaths involving ROTC trainees.

“Would you rather that I come up with law on conscription?” he said before some 12,000 athletes, sports and school officials and guests.

He said reimposing mandatory ROTC program would assure him that the “present and next generation know how to use firearms and defend the country.

“Who else will defend you? Will you ask (the United States) for help? They will not die for you.You should be the ones who should sacrifice,” the Presidents said.

He said the government was pouring money in the education sector.

The President assured the students and school and education officials that education would continue to have the biggest budgetary allocation under his administration.