I AGREE with Mayor Alfredo Lim of the City of Manila requiring mandatory military training under the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) for all students in the two city-run colleges as part of their degree requirements.

Actually, it appears to me that it is only in the Philippines where they do not train reservists to defend the country in future military conflicts. In fact, this is contrary to the provisions of the National Defense Act and Commonwealth Act 1 which was enacted right after the Philippine Commonwealth government was established, obviously a brainchild of one of history’s greatest military minds, the late Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

Under the National Defense Act, the country used to train 20-year-olds in a military program whose graduates served as the main prop of our country during the Second World War. These young Filipino reservists suffered the brunt of the infamous Death March after the surrender of Bataan and Corregidor.

Actually, our problem is the abolition of the ROTC in favor of some civic work as an offshoot of a few unfortunate incidents and anomalies inside the ROTC organization in several colleges and universities.

However, I feel that there is really a need for training reservists to back up our armed forces. What is happening now is that they keep on training for an officer corps in the Philippine Military Academy, but who will man the soldiers’ ranks equipped with the right knowledge and command know-how?

****

In the US they train men and women for the state national guards under the overall command of the Farscom.

Gen. Colin Powell used to lead this command before he chaired the Joint Chiefs of Staff. National guardsmen are also mobilized during national emergencies and calamities which justify their existence, and are constantly trained so that, in case of military need, these guardsmen will constitute the ready force who will be called to active duty.

In World War II, many national guardsmen saw action in Europe and the Pacific. President George W. Bush is a reserve fighter pilot in the state of Texas during the last world war. Today the sons of the two vice-presidential aspirants in the US, Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Joe Biden, are guardsmen assigned in Iraq.

In Israel there is universal military training for 18-year-old men and women who are ready to be called to serve in the Israel military force, which is one reason why Israel continues to be a military power in the Middle East despite its being surrounded by hostile Arab nations.

We are not preparing for war, and we do not seek war as an instrument of national policy. But we should be prepared for any eventuality.

****

Congratulations to those who undertook the rescue efforts to save the trapped miners in Baguio City for having successfully saved almost all of the hapless miners. We should also give thanks to the Navy personnel who came to join the rescuers and lent their expertise in underwater operations and, together with the anxious miners, made miracles happen with their diligent search. We should have more dedicated men and women who are ready to perform service for their fellowmen especially during times of national disasters.

****

I hope that the efforts of the new PNP leadership will succeed so that all undesirables, all incompetents, all the recalcitrant among the police forces nationwide will truly be addressed. We cannot have a ningas-cogon attitude in so far as running-after-hoodlums-in police-uniforms is concerned, because no peace-and-order campaign will succeed as long as there are policemen indulging in criminal activities.

In Iloilo City a rogue policeman went to the trouble of airing his complaint and even filed a case against me when I recommended his transfer to Mindanao. Unfortunately, as of this writing, my recommendation to detail a number of rogue Iloilo City policemen for duty in Mindanao has not been acted upon.

I was assured by Secretary Ronaldo Puno and former PNP chief Avelino Razon that these policemen, some of whom are bodyguards of notorious drug lords in our city, will soon be transferred and investigated to answer their accusers.

I hope that Gen. Jess Verzosa, who is now at the helm of the PNP, will send these rogue policemen to Mindanao posthaste, and there to stay until kingdom come.

One Response to “In defense of country”

• 1
  leah
  October 6th, 2008 12:22

  most countries do not have forced military training. The USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Spain, Japan , France and most other democracies abolished it long ago.
  The sons of Biden, McCain and Palin are VOLUNTEERS!!! as are every member of the national guard.

  and our ROTC was not abolished; it was just made voluntary as it should be.

Leave a Reply