ROTC
A survey conducted last September by Capstone-Intel Corp showed that seven out of 10 people (70 percent) supported a possible move to reinstate the mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program.
My first concern is the use of the word “mandatory”.
My second concern is the mention of “reinstatement”.
As I recall, compulsory ROTC was abandoned over 20 years ago because abuse was involved. If so, there must be clear proof that abuse will not occur in future.
The survey specifies: “Policymakers must carefully study the implementation of the ROTC program to ensure that it aligns with the goals and values of the universities involved. Open and transparent consultations with students, parents, and guardians are essential to address any concerns and ensure a clear and orderly return of ROTC”, it added.
This means, I believe, that the ROTC proponents (who are they?) need to listen. The first issue is to specify who will implement the ROTC program.
Time management is a substantial component of a student’s problem. ROTC must have a limited and specified time constraint. For many students, any ROTC activity lasting more than one hour would begin to interfere with their academic work.
If ROTC is to be implemented successfully, there must be a clear and rigorously-applied curriculum. There was much time-wasting when ROTC was previously introduced.
In principle, I am in favor of the reintroduction of ROTC, but great care needs to be taken to avoid the pitfalls that caused its abandonment.
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Hazing
My Oxford-American dictionary is not a fan of hazing. It defines hazing as “the imposition of strenuous, often humiliating tasks as part of a program of rigorous physical training and initiation.”
It adds: “humiliating and sometimes dangerous initiation rituals, especially imposed on college students seeking membership to a fraternity or sorority.”
In 2014, Guillo Cesar Servando of the De La Salle-College of St Benilde was killed as a result of initiation rites. Afterwards, Congress recognized that RA 8049, the Anti-Hazing Act in force at the time, was not sufficiently effective in averting tragedies.
As a result, Congress passed, in 2018, Republic Act 11053, a more forceful Act.
Its title is “An Act-Prohibiting Hazing and Regulating Other Forms of Initiation Rites of Fraternities, Sororities, and Other Organizations and Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No 8049”.
Tragically, on 16 October, Ahldryn Lery Chua Bravante, a student at the Philippine College of Criminology, was killed as a result of hazing, despite the fact that RA 11053 explicitly prohibits it.
I can think of horrible legal sophistries that may be invoked if the case eventually comes to trial.
Will the violators, once again, be able to circumvent the law?/PN
