Sen. Francis Tolentino is now promoting the two-year basic military and police training for all college students and technical vocational courses, hoping that it will “raise” the awareness of the youth who help during times of war, disasters, etc.
“Students who fail to undergo the mandatory Basic Military and Police Training Program in accordance with this Act shall not be qualified for graduation,” according to Tolentino’s Senate Bill 1565, which is still pending in committee this December.
“Students of higher and technical vocational institutions undergoing the Basic Military and Police Training Program shall not be subject to military or PNP law and shall be recognized as civilians in law.”
This is in contrast to House Bill 6687 that the House passed on third reading last week, which establishes mandatory military and civic training in college — something some have criticized as the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) replaced just a name.
Tolentino explained the proposal has “safeguards” for the protection of all students who will be subject to it against “bribery, corruption, graft, hazing,
sexual harassment.”
It can be recalled that the mandatory ROTC in the college was scrapped following the death of UST student Mark Chua, who then reported about the alleged corruption within their ROTC program. Several ROTC officials were implicated in his death, with one of them sentenced to death.
Senator wants mandatory 2-year police, military training in college
It was only December 14th when some members of the No to Mandatory ROTC Network went bald in protest to show the “violent mind-control policy” of mandatory military training which also violates the right to freedom of expression, safe spaces and advocacy of “blind obedience.”
In recent years, the issue of hazing within ROTC has repeatedly been in the news. This is in addition to the case of the dying cadets of the Philippine Military Academy also due to beatings, such as the case of Cadet 4th Class Darwin Dormitorio in 2020.
As an incentive, those who undergo this can be enlisted in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and Bureau of Fire Protection.
Free hospitalization will also be provided to all those undergoing the Advance Military Training Course in case of an accident in the middle of the training.
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