argumentative essay about mandatory military service in the philippines

Why Israel and SoKor's mandatory draft isn't appropriate for PH, according to defense analyst | ABS-CBN News

Why Israel and SoKor's mandatory draft isn't appropriate for PH, according to defense analyst

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Should mandatory military service happen? Here are the concerns surrounding it

As the national elections draw near, we’re now in the middle of Platform Reveal season. From economic plans to their stand on gripping issues, not only are we getting a better grasp of the candidates’ character but also a clearer picture of the (ideal) Philippines according to their own points of view—and in Sara Duterte-Carpio’s, it includes mandatory military service.

During a virtual caravan on Jan. 19, the Davao City mayor expressed her goal of implementing mandatory military service should she win the 2022 vice presidential seat. This will apply to all Filipinos upon turning 18, taking a page off other nations’ books. 

“Nakikita po natin ‘to sa ibang bansa, sa South Korea, sa Israel. Hindi po ROTC [Reserved Officers’ Training Corp] lang na isang subject o isang weekend o isang buwan sa isang taon,” Duterte-Carpio, who currently leads preference surveys, said with regard to how the youth can participate in national-building. 

(We see this in other countries like South Korea and Israel. It should not just be like ROTC [Reserved Officers’ Training Corp] where it’s just one subject or one weekend or a month in a year.)

“Dapat po lahat ng ating 18 years old, kapag tungtong mo ng 18 years old, you will be given a subsidy. You will be asked to serve our country doon sa ating Armed Forces of the Philippines,” she added.

(Every 18-year-old—once you reach 18 years old—you will be given a subsidy. You will be asked to serve our country under our Armed Forces of the Philippines.)

“We welcome the proposal as this is attuned to the times while the government is faced with adversities and challenges, aligned with our aspirations for the citizenry to contribute to nation-building,” said AFP spokesperson Col. Ramon Zagala.

Since her statement, the AFP was quick to vouch for the proposal. “We welcome the proposal as this is attuned to the times while the government is faced with adversities and challenges, aligned with our aspirations for the citizenry to contribute to nation-building,” said AFP spokesperson Col. Ramon Zagala.

The Department of National Defense has also expressed its support. Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana mentioned advantages like having a steady pool of reservists for defense and disaster relief operations, young folks becoming “better citizens” because of the training, and the youth having a sense of service instilled in them. 

A costly venture

While some are enthusiastic about Duterte-Carpio’s controversial plan, many more concerns popped up after the news. Lorenzana himself, despite being interested in the idea, also admitted that it poses “huge hurdles.” Manpower, funding, and other resources are matters to be discussed on the table, as training camps will be provided for millions of 18-year-old kids each year.

While some are enthusiastic about Duterte-Carpio’s controversial plan, many more concerns popped up after the news. Lorenzana himself, despite being interested in the idea, also admitted that it poses “huge hurdles.”

People who’ve disagreed with it also pointed to the government’s history of questionable priorities in funding. Since the onset of the pandemic—and even during times of calamities —questions have been raised about the Duterte administration’s budget allocation . The 2022 budget , for one, has been hit for having no mass testing funds while billions of pesos have been allotted to military equipment. If social support sectors like healthcare and education have been calling for more assistance, pushing for mandatory military service might be a brewing case of misplaced priorities. 

As Lorenzana also points out , our situation with the reference countries isn’t even the same, as we’re “not on war footing.” It’s important to note that what’s effective for others might not work for another. 

Qualms about ROTC history

The revival of mandatory ROTC has been a hot topic in recent years, as officials like Bato dela Rosa (who believes it’d be useful in case of a war versus China) keep pushing for it. 

But folks online have also shown distrust towards Duterte-Carpio’s proposal because of the ROTC’s history of abuse. The program, which President Duterte previously wanted to make mandatory , is linked with issues on injustice and abuse. The case of Mark Welson Chua —a student who was allegedly killed in 2001 by fellow cadet officers after exposing corruption in their unit—is one of those stories. 

University of the Philippines – Diliman student leader Jonas Abadilla highlighted the violence associated with the ROTC program as one of the major reasons why the required training shouldn’t happen. 

“Mandatory ROTC in the first place has a goal to instill nationalism to students using military-style training,” he told ANC in an interview today, Jan. 21. ​​However, I believe this will be an insult to the decades of student struggle into academic freedom since there are other ways to express nationalism and patriotism that can be done without this abusive program.”

He added, “Based on the cases that students are being abused and has this culture of violence and blind obedience, I cannot fully say and believe that mandatory ROTC will have this positive impact to the country.”

Jonas Abadilla added, “Based on the cases that students are being abused and has this culture of violence and blind obedience, I cannot fully say and believe that mandatory ROTC will have this positive impact to the country.”

In a tweet , Bayan Muna chair Neri Colmenares also opposed mandatory training, sharing data from the National Union of Students in the Philippines about different forms of reported ROTC-related violence in universities since 1995. 

Freedom of choice

Ultimately, people are concerned that the obligation impedes people’s freedom of choice, and can also disrupt the youth’s plans for their own careers.

Ultimately, people are concerned that the obligation impedes people’s freedom of choice, and can also disrupt the youth’s plans for their own careers. 

“How can Sara be running for the second-highest office in the land when she does not appear to realize that what the Philippines badly needs are more engineers, educators, scientists, medical personnel, artists, farmers, and workers to develop our country, not more soldiers?” said vice presidential aspirant Walden Bello in a statement on Thursday. 

The discussion continues, and at the end of the day, the measure of nationalism comes in different forms. Instead of coercing the youth to risk their lives for the country, maybe invest in them by looking after their well-being so they can best serve fellow Filipinos in their own way.

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[OPINION] Thoughts on mandatory military service for all Filipinos

Primarily, I want to focus my argument on the effects of mandatory military service on civil liberties since many have already cited the adverse impact on government funding. As Dean Ronald Mendoza of ASoG stated, a “mandatory and poorly funded program is a waste of time for our youth (and more likely to create corruption and abuse again).” Aside from costs, it jeopardizes the aim of professionalizing the AFP and contrasts quantity over quality. Besides, why aim for mandatory military service if we cannot solve the issues and problems in the ROTC program alone. And to add, it destroys the exclusiveness of the AFP organization. Sara Duterte wants mandatory military service for adult Filipinos Moreover, DND Secretary Lorenzana stated that, “We are not on war footing, and there will be little need of a general mobilization.” In present times, can we consider the CPP-NPA as an imminent threat against the Philippine State, nor the Abu Sayyaf or BIFF, which solely act like bandits? These entities are merely on the state on military expansion and just in the form of military adventurism. They are no longer capable of destabilizing or overthrowing the state. How about China? Possibly. Yet, in times […]

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On mandatory military service

Read this in The Manila Times digital edition.

THERE is nothing strange about imposing mandatory military service on citizens. Many countries, affluent and less affluent alike, have some form of it, depending on their needs, circumstances and traditions. Even Rome's ruling elite faced compulsory military service — in fact, one could not expect to rise to prominence on the political scene unless having excelled in the battlefield. Bravery and leadership were proven in battle against the enemies of the state.

Proponents of mandatory military service for all 18-year-old Filipinos believe it would make the latter better citizens: more disciplined, more patriotic. With the skills they'd acquired, these Filipino youth would become a trained reserve force to be mobilized in the event of war and calamities.

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Sara Duterte's proposed mandatory military service draws support and criticisms: 'A step in the wrong direction'

By NICK GARCIA Published Jan 20, 2022 9:35 pm

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio vowed to push for mandatory military service for all Filipinos if elected as vice president in the 2022 national elections, a proposal that drew support from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and criticism from some government officials.

Duterte-Carpio made the statement on Jan. 19 during a virtual "caravan" with presidential running mate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

"Nakikita po natin ito sa ibang bansa, sa South Korea at sa Israel," said Duterte-Carpio, who's also an AFP reservist. "Hindi po ROTC lang na isang subject o isang weekend o isang buwan sa isang taon."

She responded to a Sangguniang Kabataan official's question on how they'll use their respective offices as platforms to spring young people into action and become part of nation building.

Duterte-Carpio said that if elected, she'll ask the House of Representatives and the Senate to pass a measure conscripting all 18-year-old Filipinos into the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). It's supposedly meant to be an upswing of her father's plan to revive mandatory Reserved Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) in college.

"Dapat po, lahat ng ating 18 years old, pagtungtong mo ng 18 years old, you’ll be given a subsidy, you will be asked to serve our country," she added.

Under the South Korea's Military Service Act, all able-bodied South Korean men aged between 18 and 28 must serve in the military for about two years as part of the country’s efforts to guard against North Korea. South and North Korea remain technically at war since the Korean War broke out in the 1950s as hostilities only ceased via an armistice, and not a peace treaty.

As for Israel, conscription has been imposed to bolster its defenses against surrounding neighbors following the declaration of its independence on May 14, 1948. 

'Patriotism' In a statement Jan. 19, vice presidential hopeful Walden Bello criticized Duterte-Carpio, saying that her proposal "reveals her for the dictator-in-waiting she is, and tells us that she will be no different from Duterte Sr."

Sara Duterte’s pledge to use the OVP to promote mandatory military service reveals her for the dictator-in-waiting she is, and tells us that she will be no different from Duterte Sr. — Walden Bello (@WaldenBello) January 19, 2022

"Like father, like daughter," Bello said. "Duterte’s legacy was to arm people and tell them to kill. Now his daughter wants to do it to the youth as well."

Reacting to Bello's statement, Duterte-Carpio said that only the likes of Bello would think of mandatory military service for its citizens as arming them and telling them to kill, "instead of looking at it as something that inspires patriotism in the youth."

"If only he wasn’t so quick to react, he would have realized that I also emphasized the need for the youth to be prepared for disasters and become proactive community partners in rescue operations and in aiding victims of calamities," she said.

"I truly hope that our youth do not grow up to be a Walden Bello — an ungrateful citizen who sleeps peacefully in the comfort of their homes, unable to say a prayer or a silent ‘thank you’ to the men and women who became martyrs while countering violent extremism, insurgency, and terrorism," she added.

'Nation-building' The AFP has welcomed Duterte-Carpio's proposal, saying that it's attuned to the times while the government is faced with adversities and challenges, aligned with our aspirations for the citizenry to contribute to nation-building."

"Rendering mandatory military service will only help us to establish a base for strong armed forces, and therefore a strong nation," AFP spokesman Col. Ramon Zagala told reporters.

Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana also backed up the idea, but noted "huge hurdles" in the implementation.

Training camps would need to be established all over the land, and manpower and funds must be allocated to accommodate the millions who will reach the age of 18 every year

"First, are the funds and resources," he said. "Training camps would need to be established all over the land, and manpower and funds must be allocated to accommodate the millions who will reach the age of 18 every year."

Lorenzana, a retired army general, also stressed on the "anticipated objections of those who are not inclined to serve in the military," and the fact that the Philippines is "not on a war footing."

“There will be little need of a general mobilization,” he said, noting that making ROTC mandatory again is a "better alternative."

'Rampant corruption' VP hopeful Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, however, said that mandatory military training was abolished in the first place as it became a "source of rampant corruption and abuses in the past."

"Babalik lang ang suhulan, paninikil at kurakot sa ROTC kapag ginawa ulit itong mandatory," Pangilinan said in a statement.

Bayan Muna Chairman Neri Colmenares, who's running for senator, pointed out that the existing option ROTC program is already "fraught with problems," and making military service mandatory would only make things worse.

I can't agree to mandatory military training for our youth. As @NUSPhilippines shows, the existing optional ROTC program is fraught with problems. Tapos gagawin pang required sa lahat ng kabataan? Hindi po dapat. https://t.co/ShzW33UasF — Neri Colmenares (@ColmenaresPH) January 20, 2022

For Lito Atienza, who's also seeking the vice presidency, young Filipinos should instead be given more training in disaster preparedness, citing the effects of tropical cyclones like Yolanda and Odette.

"This is a step in the wrong direction," Atienza said. "Rather than giving them military training, we should strengthen their civic consciousness and capability to respond to problems that affect the nation and Filipinos in general."

This is an added burden on the youth. What we should be doing instead is to harness the youth’s strength, energy, and capabilities in sports and cultural development

The mandatory ROTC program was scrapped following the death in 2001 of University of Santo Tomas sophomore cadet Mark Welson Chua, who exposed the alleged fund mismanagement in his school's ROTC unit. Chua's killing sparked widespread anger and led to the abolition of mandatory ROTC via Republic Act 7077.

ROTC, then, became optional and voluntary via RA 9163 , or the National Service Training Program Act of 2001. It was approved on Jan. 23, 2002.

TAGS: Sara Duterte 2022elections rotc military service

NICK GARCIA

Nick writes about politics, law, health, entertainment, and pop culture, among others. Outside work, he's a wannabe musician and cook. Email him at [email protected] .

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Sara Duterte’s push for mandatory military service shows ‘true militarist nature’ – groups

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This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

File photo of Sara Duterte in Lucena City

Photo by BBM-Sara UniTeam

MANILA, Philippines – Groups have denounced the suggestion of vice presidential aspirant Sara Duterte to make military service mandatory for Filipinos once they turn 18 years old.

“Vice presidential candidate Mayor Sara Duterte really showed her true militarist nature to the voting public when she offered he proposal that the youth undergo mandatory military service if ever she gets elected,” said Save Our Schools Network in a statement on Thursday, January 21.

Save Our Schools Network is an alliance of academic, religious, and civil groups advocating for the resumption of Lumad education.

The group said that Sara’s proposal is “totally detached and debased from the basic need of the youth, which is education and proper jobs, things that have been heavily affected by her father’s militaristic pandemic failure.”

It can be recalled that her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, also made a bid to make Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) mandatory for all college students early in his presidency, but this plan fizzled out. ROTC is a voluntary college program designed to produce military reservists.

The younger Duterte, however, has gone several steps further by seeking mandatory military service for Filipinos once they reach the age of 18.

“ Hindi po ROTC lang…. Dapat po, pagtungtong mo ng  (Not just ROTC. When you turn) 18 years old, you’ll be given a subsidy, you’ll be asked to serve our country, doon sa (there at the) AFP,” Sara said on Wednesday, January 19, during a “virtual caravan” that featured her running mate Bongbong Marcos Jr and several senatorial candidates endorsed by the tandem.

Save Our Schools Network pointed out that the “issue of discipline cannot be answered by submitting our youth to a militarist training that is known to abuse and murder its own cadets through hazing and is known for human rights abuses which we have experienced.”

“The issue of patriotism is not simply learned by marching on the ground and carrying a rifle. Patriotism is already provided by schools, especially our Lumad schools that taught us to defend of our ancestral land and environment.  But sadly our Lumad schools are shut down, and our ancestral land have been plundered no thanks to her father president who reopened our lands to large-scale mining, plantations and the Chinese military and multinational firms,” the group said.

In a separate statement on Friday, January 21, youth group Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan said that any candidate running for public office who continue to support and promote militarism should “only be assumed as brutal, oppressive, and in service of only the ruling class.”

“There is something to be said about how, instead of addressing the issues facing everyday Filipinos, Duterte seems hellbent on just adding to them. Proposing mandatory military service does nothing to address the surge in COVID-19 cases, rampant corruption in the health sector, and the crippling lack of social aid; in fact, such a proposal would only further divert crucial funding from these issues,” the group said.

The group added that Sara’s push for mandatory military service sends a strong message that “any dissent will be met with force.”

Sara Duterte wants mandatory military service for adult Filipinos

“The youth must work to overthrow the oppressive status quo, but candidates like Duterte and Marcos do everything in their power to preserve it,” the group said.

On Thursday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that Sara’s suggestion, while welcome, would be hard to implement. Besides, he added, the country is not on “war footing.” – Rappler.com

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