Members of youth groups protested outside the House of Representatives on Monday, Feb. 4, 2019, denouncing proposals to lower the minimum age of criminal liability (MACR) and revive the Reserved Officers鈥� Training Corps (ROTC). (File photo by GABRIEL PABICO LALU / 黑料社)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Student councils of the University of the Philippines Diliman and Ateneo de Manila University, which will be competing in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 men鈥檚 basketball championship, urged their communities to wear black during the game finals on Monday to oppose the 鈥渞estoration鈥� of mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC).
鈥淚ts implementation in the past allowed the culture of violence and impunity to flourish. Under the false pretense of instilling nationalism, Filipino students experienced rampant abuse,鈥� the student groups said in a joint statement on Saturday.
鈥淲e cannot let mandatory ROTC happen again. We cannot let the systems of the past that oppressed our fellow Filipinos quietly return without resistance,鈥� they said.