The Department of National Defense (DND) supports the mandatory military training of 18-year-old Filipinos, providing many benefits to the youth.
According to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, military reservists are ready and trained to defend the country.
Also, through training and discipline, they will become better citizens and will be instilled in them to serve the country.
However, Lorenzana admitted that there would be some barriers to its implementation, including resources.
He said training camps across the country, workforce, and funds will be needed to accommodate the millions of Filipinos over 18.
Lorenzana also does not rule out the possibility that some may object to serving in the military.
As a result, he said, implementing mandatory ROTC in private and public schools is a better alternative.
He said its implementation in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) is already underway.
The program targets K11-K12 levels that will be reservists.
National Defense supports mandatory military training for 18-year-old Pinoys
Earlier, Davao City Mayor and vice-presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio said that if she wins the May 2022 elections, she will promote mandatory military service for all 18-year-old Filipinos.
However, vice presidential aspirant Walden Bello said Duterte-Carpio seems to want to continue her father’s legacy, President Rodrigo Duterte, to arm the people and teach them to kill.
“Duterte’s legacy was to arm people and tell them to kill. Now his daughter wants to do that to children as well. Sara Duterte’s latest pronouncements about using the OVP to stand for mandatory military service is a mask-off moment for the dictator-in-waiting, and should quell any doubt that the daughter will be any different from the father,” said Bello.
Duterte-Carpio replied that the 18-year-old is no longer a child and that the military service proposal is also teaching love for the country and not arming people to kill.
“Only the likes of Mr. Bello would think of mandatory military service for its citizens as arming them and telling them to kill – instead of looking at it as something that inspires patriotism in the youth,” the Davao City mayor said.
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