A GENTLE observation during ceremonies in ‘Change of Command’ of AFP units. Both outgoing and incoming commander, or their speech writers, skip mentioning the necessary role and contribution of ‘Reservists’ in their mission-vision during such occasions. Note, the latter is a co-efficient to the constitutional mandate that the “AFP shall be composed of a citizen armed force”. Exceptions to the oversight, call it ambivalence, are of uniformed services with a primary function over the ‘Reservist Family’. Perhaps an indication of a necessary change in the mind-set of a few regular/field officers, including some personnel, unfamiliar with the existence and necessity of what is a true people’s armed force, as validated by crimson history, reinforced by political/policy pronouncements, as embodied in our laws, and the constitution.
To be convincing, one has to embrace the essential role of building a strong reserve force to augment the defense capability of the Regular army. This is aside from training/preparing the people as a citizen soldiers, for a “whole nation defense” when and if the time should ever arise, our institutions would have been vanquished, and the phase of asymmetrical warfare kicks-in as a programmed response with existing uniformed (regular and reservists) units joining citizen soldiers as invisible army.
Bills pending in the House of Representatives on ‘Mandatory ROTC’ (HB 5113, HB 1260 etc.) requires political will and the astuteness to fully comprehend what is at stake. Marginal is the “motherhood” of instilling discipline and patriotism in the youth. President Rodrigo Duterte’s readiness to sign an Executive Order on said issue, is the caveat and push our legislators require. Anent to this, the following recommendations are submitted:1) Amending the error in RA 7077 Reservist Act when the definition of Reservists and citizen soldier are interchangeably used 2) Renaming ROTC as Citizen Armed Force Training, since basic graduates are non-officers. ROTC is for the advanced course 3) Ending week-end ROTC as a learning curve failure, introducing ‘One Summer ROTC’ (Mon-Fri) 4) ROTC good governance adviser – priests, or PTA officer, or Sr. Reservist officer 5) Incorporating ROTC Serial Numbers in the student’s ‘Transcript of Records’ to avoid loss and duplicity.
