Mandatory ROTC bill has a P27-billion price tag, says Escudero

October 10, 2024 | 5:54pm

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Francis Escudero on Thursday bared that the mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) bill would require P27.12 billion for full implementation.

Escudero has consistently opposed the measure, despite it being one of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s priority pieces of legislation.

However, Escudero reiterated that while he was against the bill, he would allow it to proceed through the normal legislative process.

“More or less P27 billion is needed for implementation,” Escudero said in Filipino a media interview on Thursday.

Escudero disclosed that he met with Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro to discuss several topics, including the military and uniformed personnel’s pension bill, as well as amendments to the country’s espionage law. During this meeting, the Senate president inquired about the funding requirements for the ROTC bill’s implementation.

According to Teodoro, the implementation would occur in three phases. Based on computations provided by Escudero’s office:

Phase 1, the least expensive, would cost P5.2 million for maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE).
Phase 2, spanning three years, would cost P19.046 billion, covering MOOE, capital outlays, and personnel services.
Phase 3, involving full implementation and evaluation, would cost P8.027 billion.

Expenses would range from hiring trainers to providing student uniforms. Escudero said the government would not be able to shoulder expenses for all students, and that there would be limitations in resources.

Escudero also revealed that some defense officials had reservations about the mandatory ROTC bill, as they would struggle to accommodate the potential influx of reservists from the program.

When asked if the country could afford to implement mandatory ROTC, Escudero admitted it would face difficulty, especially considering other government expenditures, including the upcoming elections.

He emphasized that the P27 billion or P8 billion annual budget could fund numerous other initiatives.

“It will be tough especially given the other expenditure that the government needs to allocate funds for in the coming year given even the elections. But to give you an idea of what congress will be weighing in deciding certain matters, P27 billion or P8 billion a year can fund a lot of things,” Escudero said.

He suggested that the budget could alternatively be allocated to the Department of Health, Department of Education, or state universities and colleges.

The mandatory ROTC bill has long drawn controversy, facing opposition from many lawmakers and student groups. Under the proposed measure, students in higher education institutions and technical vocational institutions would be required to undergo ROTC training.