By Liza Soriano
MANILA — Senator Robin Padilla assured the public that past abuses in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program would not happen again.
“I believe in it 99% because we always give 1% to what is written in fate, but I am 99% confident that our Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are very professional and can handle the implementation of mandatory ROTC training correctly if it passes. And this is what we need to do now,” Padilla said in a radio interview.
“We already have many laws regarding anti-hazing… We ensure that there are appropriate punishments. And even in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) now, the PMA strictly enforces non-abusive physical training. The same goes for the training of our enlisted personnel; it is strictly prohibited, especially for the youth entering ROTC,” he added.
Padilla also reiterated that ROTC is not just about handling firearms but also about self-defense and assisting in times of calamities.
The senator also emphasized that it is unfair to associate hazing and other abuses with ROTC, BCMC, or military training, as hazing has also occurred in other organizations such as fraternities.
Padilla, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Philippine Army, stressed that ROTC is where youth learn not only to be warriors but also to maximize their skills, such as computer expertise, to contribute to the nation.
(el Amigo/MNM)
