Reserve Officers Training Corps

The September 19, 2022 Philippine Star newspaper reported that a Negros Oriental Congressman filed House No. 4500 “The 2022 ROTC Bill”. The bill says grade eleven (15/16 years old) and grade 12 (16/17 years old) students must finish a 2-year ROTC Course or else they cannot graduate from high school.

World war began on 1914, U.S. stayed neutral but joined the war in 1917 when a German submarine sunk Luisitania, a British liner where 100 Americans drowned. The US military buildup was slow because it had a small army and very few commissioned officers (Lieuts, Capts., Colonels ). US forces fought in Europe only in 1918. With this bad experience, US planned a big standby civilian/reservist’s army which can be mobilized at once. In 1920 US Congress passed the military Security Law which created an ROTC program prepared by the army. All College and University male students must take ROTC (a 2-year basic course or 4-year advance course leading to an army commission as lieutenant.) They can only graduate if they finish ROTC.

We were a US colony from 1898 to 1946. America created the University of the Philippines in 1908. In 1922, U.P. formed the first ROTC unit followed later by Ateneo, Letran, Siliman etc. In 1935 Pres. Quezon signed into law commonwealth Act No. 1, the national defense act which included ROTC for all colleges. In 1939, Pres. Quezon signed an Executive Order that all colleges and Universities must have an ROTC course and only those who finish ROTC can graduate.

On December 7, 1941 Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 8, 1941 Japan bombed Manila, Clark, and Davao. The US response was fast. It had 80,000 reserved commissioned officers (Lt, Capt., Major, etc.) and about 20,000 active officers (West Point Army, Annapolis, and Navy). On August 6, 1942 barely 8 months after the December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor raid, US marines attacked Guadalcanal. On November 7, 1942 the US army landed in North Africa. In the Philippines, the ROTC graduates who were already professionals (CPAS, AB, LLB, Doctors etc.) and 18 years ROTC trainees (still in Colleges) joined the United States Armed Focus in the Far East. (USAFFE) More than 40% of the USAFFE soldiers were ROTC graduates. They fought in Bataan, survived the Mariveles Bataan to San Fernando Pampanga death march and the Horrors of the Camp O Donnel Capas Tarlac Prisoner of War (P.O.W) camp.

After war ended in 1945, ROTC Bataan survivors who enlisted in 1941 but have not finished college returned to school. 4 ROTC Bataan Heroes who after finishing law and became lawyers, came to Davao were Atty. Leonor Lozano, S.S.S Legal Officer Franco Grageda, Willy Escudero, Tibong Diaz (the only O Bo-guiangan who fought in Bataan). Other ROTC Bataan heroes I met in Davao were, Mr. Sotero Palabyag, Mindanao Colleges Principal, City Chief of Police Dante Nagtalon, Fr. Francis Dolan 3 whose first names I forgot; Prison Director Misa, Mr. Babao, Mr. Gonzales of Calinan. I met in Manila Bataan ROTC heroes like Ferdinand Marcos (UP law ‘39, No. 1 in the Bar Exam) Supreme Court Chief Justice Fred Ruiz Castro (UP law -36) UE Law School Dean Rodolfo Palma (Up law ’37), Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea 19th Battalion Commander Col. Nick Jimenez.

The ROTC Program continued when we became a republic in 1946 with some changes. The Preparatory Military Training was compulsory for 3rd and 4th year students. You can only graduate in high school if you finish the 2 years PMT course. ROTC became unpopular because of the war in 1. Vietnam (1945-1975) Afghanistan (1983-87) Libya (1964) and 2. Military Intelligence said some college students who became leftist, joined the underground and used their military training against the State. In 2001 UST ROTC cadet officer Chua was killed due to hazing and anomalies. In 2001 the ROTC course was closed. I am a PMT (Mindanao Colleges 1954-55/ 55-56) and ROTC (Ateneo de Davao (1956-57/57-58) graduate ROTC but only for College not high school. It is not good to teach 14 to 16 years old high school student’s military science and tactics, training/ indoctrination in the art of killing human beings. May gatas ang bibig nila. Give it to college students. Q- Who will pay for the ROTC Course- the parents of the students or the government?