Pimentel backs call to scrap mandatory ROTC bill after Salilig's death; Bato, Win defend measure

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Friday supported calls to junk the bill making the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) mandatory following the death of alleged hazing victim John Matthew Salilig.

"Scrap the bill making ROTC mandatory. Make it only optional to those who are 'militarily inclined' or interested in military matters," Pimentel said.

But Senators Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa and Sherwin Gatchalian—principal authors of the bills on mandatory ROTC—defended the measure.

Dela Rosa, who presided over the hearings on the mandatory ROTC bills, tagged the call as a "desperate move" by groups who are against the program.

"What a desperate move from anti-ROTC leftist group. What is the connection? The victim died because of fraternity hazing and not of ROTC training," Dela Rosa told GMA News Online.

He said the proposed ROTC bill has safeguards such as the establishment of local grievance boards and a national grievance and monitoring committee which will conduct motu proprio investigations on reported or monitored abuses being committed under the program.

Meanwhile, Gatchalian explained that ROTC seeks to eliminate incidents of hazing by instilling discipline among the youth.

"The death of John Salilig that was caused by hazing was perpetuated by individuals who have absolutely no respect for the rule of law. The goal of ROTC, on the other hand, is to inculcate discipline and good citizenship among the youth," Gatchalian said.

"It is precisely incidents like these that ROTC intends to eliminate by molding our youth to respect our country and one another," he added.

Gatchalian maintained that the mandatory ROTC bill is "airtight and equipped with safeguards that will prevent abuses from happening."

Further Study

In an online interview with reporters, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, who is a member of the Tau Gamma Phi—the fraternity implicated in Salilig's death, said the chemical engineering student's death prompts further study on the mandatory ROTC bill.

"I feel na the more yung clamor to study further yung panukalang batas mas lumakas ngayon... considering mandatory ito. Remember yung frat voluntary yan, ito mandatory," he said.

(There's more clamor to study the proposed bill considering it will be mandatory. Being a member of a fraternity is voluntary, this one is mandatory)

He also emphasized that it's important to understand why the ROTC was scrapped in the first place. 

"Hindi po basta basta, bigla bigla na tinanggal ang ROTC. Meron pong malalim, masusi na pinag-aralang dahilan kung bakit tinaggal yan," he added.

(It wasn't removed for no reason. It was studied carefully before it was taken out)

Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros also noted how Salilig's death made the clamor against the revival of mandatory ROTC louder.

"Ngayon, mas matingkad pa ang panawagang ito...Walang puwang ang anumang uri ng karahasan sa ating mga paaralan at pamantasan," she said.

(There's a wider call [against the proposal]. There's no place for any form of violence in our schools and universities.)

The opposition lawmaker said there is no enough reasons to revive the mandatory ROTC program, arguing that the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education should ensure that students are protected from "savage practices" like hazing.

Further, Hontiveros said billions of funds that will be spent for the ROTC program should be used for the literacy training service under the NSTP.

For her part, Senator Nancy Binay pointed out that corruption, abuse, and hazing were among the reasons why mandatory ROTC was removed.

"It's so hard to understand, align and reconcile love of country with a training course that is flawed to the core. Ang hirap din ipaliwanag kung bakit ang sinasabing "tradition of discipline" accounts for a long list of hazing cases," Binay said.

(It's hard to explain why this so-called "Tradition of discipline" accounts for a long list of hazing cases)

"We need to put a stop to the decadent culture and violent tradition which have long been embedded in the system," she added.

"Not to diminish the value of military training, but if it is indeed true that ROTC improves character and personality, how do we justify the many deaths by hazing?" she added.

'Macho-fascist'

In a statement on the death of Salilig, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said the "macho-fascist" tradition in school-based fraternities is the "same destructive culture" that dominated the ROTC.

"The fate of Salilig should also prompt our national leaders to drop altogether the plans to revive the ROTC, which is intrinsically militaristic, macho-fascist, violent and rotten to the core," said ACT.

"Our schools should at all times be safe spaces for learning and zones of peace. Such school environment is vital in enabling free discourse and genuine pursuit of truth and knowledge that is relevant to the lives of our youth and the country’s future," it added.

Salilig's remains were found in a shallow grave in Imus, Cavite. Based on the autopsy report, the cause of his death was “severe blunt force in the lower extremities.” A neophyte member of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity has identified the people involved in Salilig's initiation rites.

The mandatory ROTC program was scrapped in 2002 following the passage of Republic Act 9163, or the law establishing the National Service Training Program (NSTP).

The law was passed after the March 2001 killing of University of Santo Tomas student Mark Wilson Chua, allegedly by fellow cadets after corrupt practices were exposed within the ROTC Corps.

The Marcos administration named the mandatory ROTC bill as one of its legislative priorities.

The bill seeks to reinstitute the ROTC and the National Service Training Program (NSTP) as mandatory for Grade 11 and 12 students in all public and private institutions.

At the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum last Wednesday, Dela Rosa said that he planned to sponsor the committee report on the mandatory ROTC bills before the Holy Week break.

Not a hindrance 

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Friday that hazing incidents in the country are not a hindrance to making ROTC mandatory.

PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo emphasized that the police force swiftly responded to hazing incidents. She said there have been 122 cases related to hazing from 2016 to 2023.

"Well, makikita natin dyan yung mabilis na aksyon ng ating mga kapulisan dito sa mga hazing incidents ngayon, hindi po natin nakikita na magiging hadlang sa pagsusulong o pagbabalik ng ROTC,” Fajardo said at the public briefing.

(Well, we can see the quick action of our police here on the hazing incidents. We do not see that it will be a hindrance for the return of mandatory ROTC.)

“Malinaw naman po doon sa mga batas natin na mahigpit ang magiging mandate ng mga eskwelahan para maiwasan yung mga ganitong insidente at inaasahan din po natin na dahil sa mga pangyayaring ito yung ating mga school will constantly review po yung kanilang mga obligation with respect po sa implementation ng ating anti-hazing law,” she added. 

(It is clear in our laws that the schools are mandated to prevent such incidents, and we expect that because of these incidents, our schools will constantly review their obligations with respect to the implementation of our anti-hazing law.)

The PNP spokesperson also said they were continuously coordinating with the schools to conduct orientation courses and seminars regarding the anti-hazing law. 

She added that they maintain maximum police visibility in schools. —with Richa Noriega/VAL/VBL, GMA Integrated News