Youth group slams Visayas-wide 'ROTC games' on Int'l Youth Day

MANILA, Philippines — The Student Christian Movement of the Philippines on Saturday condemned the upcoming Reserved Officers’ Training Corps Games at the West Visayas State University (WVSU) this weekend, a program which progressive groups see as a normalization of abuse and blind obedience.

The WVSU, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Commission on Higher Education and the Iloilo City government on August 7 signed a memorandum of agreement slating the controversial games from August 13 to 19.

“On International and National Youth Day, we firmly condemn the opening of gates of schools as a way to normalize ROTC, a program rife with violence, corruption, and violations of academic freedom, despite the growing opposition amidst its alarming reimposition as a mandatory subject under the Marcos Jr.-Duterte regime,” said Kej Andres, SCMP national chairperson.

“We are one with the students in denouncing the readiness of government institutions in normalizing ROTC as massive budget cuts loom WVSU and many SUCs [state universities and colleges]. The government is shamelessly willing to allot as high as P61.2 billion for Mandatory ROTC, while proposed cuts for capital outlay for SUCs for 2024 will amount to P9.1 billion.”

This coincides with the 2024 National Expenditure Program, which poses a looming 5.75% budget reduction for state universities and colleges. At least 26 organizations in WVSU recently condemned the impending 29.23% budget cut for their university through a unity statement.

Students, parents and activist groups have raised concerns regarding the proposed revival of mandatory military training in schools in the form of ROTC, a measure which has reached the second reading in the Senate.

Throughout the years, the ROTC program has received multiple complaints regarding physical hazing, psychological and even sexual abuses. It became optional after the 2001 murder of UST cadet Mark Welson Chua, who exposed corruption within the program.

“Clearly, the government’s plan for Mandatory ROTC is diametrically opposed to students’ welfare both on their safety and on their call for higher state subsidy,” Andres said.

“We pray that the WVSU administration will listen to the prayers of the students, the biggest constituents in our universities, and be one with them in asserting higher budgets for SUCs and in disallowing the harmful and misleading ROTC Games and Mandatory ROTC. As communities of students, teachers, personnel, and administrators, let us together uphold our schools as zones of peace, safeguarding the wellbeing of students as well as their academic freedom,” he added.

ROTC Games to ‘develop skills, discipline’

Major General Elpidio Talja, commander of Air Force Reserve Command-AFP, earlier this month praised the upcoming Philippine ROTC Games as it aims to “develop the skills and discipline of the students” and to discover their potential as world-class athletes.

Talja said that there are already 1,049 students from Regions VI, VII and VIII who committed to participate in the PRG.

The games will feature seven sporting events such as athletics, arenas, boxing, kickboxing, basketball, volleyball and e-sports.

“Part of the program ng ROTC is ang development ng youth. Dito natin pinasok ang sports development, incorporating the other activities ng ROTC, which are also preparing them being the standby reserve of the country dahil kailangan natin ‘yan in case of emergencies… So, this is part of the development of the [ROTC] program,” said Talja in a report by the state-owned Philippine Information Agency.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. In 2022 urged the Philippine Congress to make ROTC mandatory in senior high school.