AGAINST TO MANDATORY ROTC

Strongly object to the reinstatement of ROTC as a requirement for Senior High School curriculum. 

"Making ROTC mandatory once again would most certainly lead to greater cases of violence, sexual abuse, corruption, and the shirking of critical thinking in favor of blind obedience to authority among the youth" - Shaye Ganal, the national spokesperson for Gabriela Youth, made this clear during the stakeholders' debate.

-As the program can turn into a place for abuse that leading fear among the students, ROTC has a long history of abuse, harassment, and corruption in schools. The mandatory ROTC will expose the students to violence early on. The program's physical and psychological abuse was already widespread. The officers can violate the rights of students by humiliating, torturing, and even killing them while posing as instructors.

• Violation of Laws

The compulsory recruitment of minors under the ROTC program violates the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, to which the Philippines is a signatory and party given that senior high school students' average age is between 16 and 18 years old.

• Threat to the students mental & physical health

The ROTC has participated in a number of combat situations. Increased deployments, family separation, and violence exposure brought on by these combat engagements have all been associated with an uptick in mental and physical health problems. 

• Additional cost and money wasted by the government

The additional costs for uniforms, equipment, meals, transportation, and other contributions related to the adoption of mandatory ROTC will be covered by parents and students. Private schools will also have to charge higher tuition and other fees as a result. Poor families are no longer able to bear the enormous pressures of these additional expenses.                                      The money that will be allotted by the government for ROTC should be used to address the shortages of classrooms, books, teachers, and staff.

• Extra Burden

Additionally, the program's requirements will be extremely physically taxing, which could harm students' wellbeing.