Resolution No. 199 was passed on third and final reading on Monday and stresses that "it is important to take into consideration the free will of students to take part in the ROTC program for its successful implementation."
A representative of the Kabataan Partylist expressed the group’s opposition against a provision in Senate Bill 2034 that gives schools the option to charge training fees at 50% of the standard tuition per unit rate in universities that do not offer free tuition.
A survey commissioned by the office of Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian suggests that nearly 8 in 10 Filipinos support the return of the mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps program in college.
Some senators defended the administration-backed measure to make the Reserve Officers Training Corps program mandatory again in the face of calls from some groups and other lawmakers to drop this plan following the hazing death of Adamson University student John Matthew Salilig.
Sen. Ronald dela Rosa committed to invite student and youth groups to the next Senate hearing on proposals to make the Reserve Officer Training Corps mandatory after they have been snubbed from the past two hearings.