NEWSFLASH

CEBU EDUCATORS BACK ROTC ABOLITION

Cebu City, July 8, 2001 - In an unprecedented move, nine colleges and universities in the province joined their counterparts in Manila in clamoring for the abolition of the Reserve Officer Training Course (ROTC).

Following complaints from student groups, university and college presidents in Cebu submitted to Education Secretary Raul Roco a manifesto declaring their support for the move to abolish ROTC as a college requirement.

The manifesto was signed by Augusto Go of the University of Cebu, Gregorio Escario of the Cebu Institute of Technology, Fr. Francisco Estepa of the University of San Carlos, Fr. Walthrode Conde of the University of San Jose-Recoletos, Ronald Duterte of the University of Southern Philippines, Alicia Cabatingan of Southwestern University, Eduardo Gullas of the University of the Visayas, Teodoro Diez of Velez College and Potenciano Larrazabal Jr. of Cebu Doctors College.

The ROTC, the manifesto stated, "has ceased to become a relevant venue in educating the youth and in teaching them the values of love of country and nationalism."

Major colleges and universities in Metro Manila called for the ROTC’s abolition following the death of Mark Chua, a student of the University of Sto. Tomas.

Chua’s death was connected to his exposé on alleged corruption at the university’s ROTC department.

In Cebu, students demanded the firing of abusive and corrupt ROTC officials but school administrators took a step further by asking Congress to completely phase out the course.

"Contrary to its intended noble aims, it has become an occasion of abuse and corruption," the manifesto stated.

School administrators also believe that money spent for the required ROTC uniforms, shoes and other requirements can be better spent on other educational needs of students such as books.

"We fully agree with Secretary Roco’s statements that ROTC must be abolished since the students couldn’t learn anything from it and are just suffering from the heat of the sun and sometimes would (even) train under the rain," their manifesto stated.

Civic welfare service, they said, is "a better venue for channeling the energy of the youth toward efforts in nation-building."

They, however, suggested that if ROTC stays, it must be made voluntary and that the training should be conducted in six months, with community service during summer.

The Constitution requires the government to organize reserve commands in the Army, Navy and Air Force to be tapped in times of war to defend the nation.

Cebu Gov. Pablo Garcia, however, does not favor the ROTC’s abolition, saying the reserved citizen’s army is beneficial to students because it imposes discipline.

The Commission on Higher Education is proposing that the ROTC be made an optional course for private school students who can choose between military training, civic welfare or law enforcement service.

These reforms, however, will be applicable only to private colleges and universities. The ROTC will be made mandatory for students of state colleges and universities and other government-run schools. (Philippine Star)