The Senate Technical Working Group will discuss Senate Bills 236, 468, 1235, 1349, 1551, and 1565, all of which seek the return of Mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), on Monday, January 23.
Progressive groups condemned the bills being railroaded in the Senate, saying that mandatory ROTC does nothing to help the youth, and is an unnecessary burden on students in a time of economic crisis.
“Panawagan natin ang tuluyang pagbasura ng mga pasistang panukala gaya ng mga ito at sa halip ay tugunan ng gobyerno ang mga kinakailangan ng ating mga paaralan para sa 100% ligtas, abot-kaya at dekalidad na edukasyon para sa lahat ng mga estudyanteng Pilipino,” said Kabataan Partylist.
They said that pushing for mandatory ROTC only serves to reinforce the state’s culture of impunity and fascism in schools.
On December 15 last year, the House of Representatives managed to pass House Bill 6687, a bill that also seeks to bring back ROTC under the guise of a “National Citizens Service Training Program.”
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Featured image courtesy of Johannes Hong
