The House of Representatives last night passed on third and final reading the bill reviving mandatory military training for senior high school students in the country.
The House registered 167 affirmative votes and four negative votes to pass the bill providing for mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps course for all Grade 11 and 12 students.
House Majority Leader Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro said that even if the bill is passed by Congress, there is little likelihood it will be implemented in the coming school year.
The House ran out of time in passing the measure on final reading before it went on a break last February for the mid-term elections and had to present it on third reading during resumption yesterday because it had not been certified as an urgent administration measure by President Duterte.
Castro said the approved bill will be swiftly referred to the Senate.
Oppositors of the measure accused the House leadership of railroading the second reading approval of HB 8961.
Nueva Ecija Rep. Ria Vergara’s proposed amendments were accepted by the sponsoring committee before approval on second reading last February.
Vergara has sought the removal of the provision that makes mandatory for all public and private universities, college, and other educational institution to offer and provide a training school for the advanced ROTC program.
The Nueva Ecija solon also gained amendment that inserted a provision that strictly prohibits the use of ROTC training for “political” objective and to teach and instill a particular political ideology on students.
Vergara’s proposal to specifically ban hazing and other physical or mental abuse was also adopted. (Ben Rosario)
