NATIONAL Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana defended President Rodrigo Duterte’s move to revive the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) in the Philippines, saying that the move is not to militarize the whole country but to utilize the reservists in times of calamities and disasters.
“Wala tayong balak sumabak sa giyera, (We do not have any intention of going into war)” Lorenzana said during the donning of rank as lieutenant colonel to and oathtaking ceremony of Compostela Valley 1st District Representative Maricar Zamora in Tagum City Thursday.
The reservists, he said, are very useful in times of disasters and emergencies like the one that struck some provinces in Davao Region, Typhoon Pablo. Reservists were the ones who repacked the relief goods since they are not combatants.
Although he added that the reservists are helpful to make the other regions, especially those in far-flung areas, safe.
Lorenzana added that although we are in “good situation”, but “we should take the lead in improving security in our area.”
Since the halt of the ROTC sometime in 2002, reservist officers have dwindled as most of them are already in their retirement age.
“We are already old, we need young blood,” he said.
Thus, Lorenzana said they realized the “pitfall” of halting the ROTC and said that hopefully with the resumption of the reservists training this year, by two years or four years from now, the number of reservists will increase.
He said that the department plans to develop the reservists’ practices.
“Siguro maghahanap tayo ng lugar (We will look for a place) where we will put up the facilities,” he said.
The ROTC will commence this school year, starting from the state universities. It will be fully reinstituted to all other colleges and universities when the ROTC Act of 2016 will be approved.