Pinatututukan ng isang mambabatas sa Senado ang panukalang mandatory citizen service training na mayroong optional Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
Ayon kay Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez maigi na maipasa na agad ng Senado ang panukala.
Tugon ito ng mambabatas sa lumabas na resulta ng survey ng Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) na nagsasabing 53% ng mga senior high school-respondent ang tutol sa ROTC.
Punto ni Rodriguez, ang House Bill 6687 ay nagsusulong ng pagkakaroon ng national citizens service training program (NCSTP) o pagsasanay para sa community service-oriented activities gaya ng relief and rescue operation at pagtulong sa mga nasalanta.
“It is not focused on military enlistment preparation. That is just part of what we envision would be a holistic citizen service training, which would encourage the participation of our youth in civic and public affairs,” paliwanag ng mambabatas.
Naniniwala naman si Rodriguez na malaking tulong ang ROTC para sa dagdag na citizens force lalo na sa panahaon na kailangan tumugon sa emergency situation.
“In a time when multitude of national and local emergencies and contingents confront our people, whether in the areas of external and territorial defense, internal security and peace and order, and disaster risk reduction and management, we need an updated and well-thought citizen service law,” he said”.
Pagtitiyak naman nito sakop lamang ng panukala ang mga mag-aaral sa undergraduate programs sa lahat ng higher education institutions kasama ang mga nasa 2-year TVET program at hindi ang mga high-school students. | ulat ni Kathleen Jean Forbes
