Sen. Robinhood Padilla聽 (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines鈥擳he latest water cannon attack by the China Coast Guard聽 against聽 Philippine vessels has prompted 聽 Senator聽 Robinhood Padilla to revive his call for a mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC)聽 program.
At a hearing in the Senate on Monday,聽 Padilla聽 questioned the readiness聽 of the聽 Philippines聽 to defend itself from enemies.
He said it is very clear in the Constitution that聽 all Filipinos should be prepared to聽 defend the country at all times.
鈥淗anda ba ang Pilipinas na ipagtanggol ang sarili nya? (Is the Philippines ready to defend itself?鈥�) Padilla asked during the hearing on bills enhancing the country鈥檚 defense capabilities.
Padilla even cited how Ukraine is surviving the war against Russia because its citizens are helping the military.
鈥淎ng malaking question para po sating lahat e聽 kailan聽 po ba natin talagang oobligahin ang聽 ating mga kababayan na pumasok na dito聽 sa military service kasi聽 puro tayo reklamo,鈥澛� said the senator.
(The big question for all of us is when聽 are we going require our countrymen to enter military service, because we鈥檙e just keep complaining)
鈥淧uro tayo salita, kulang聽 tayo sa gawa. Sana sa pamamagitan ng pagdinig na ito ay atin na pong, in English ma-realize聽 na tayo po ay namamangka sa isang ilog na napakalakas ng alon,鈥澛� Padilla added.
(We鈥檙e all talk, we lack action. Hopefully, through this hearing, we will finally realize that we are sailing in a river with strong currents.)
Later in the session hall,聽 the senator聽 prodded his聽 colleagues to support聽 his proposed mandatory ROTC training.
鈥淗indi naman po kaila sa ating kaalaman聽 na ang China, ang Tsino, ang kanilang military service po, ang聽 kanilang聽 reservist ay聽 baka daanan lang tayo niyan, lakaran lang tayo niyan, ihian lang tayo niyan malunod na tayo,鈥� he said.
(Given China鈥檚 military service and their reservists, they could just walk over us, urinate on us, and we could drown.)
鈥淎ng sinasabi ko po聽 mga mahal kong kasama sa Senado, kung ano po ang gigil sana natin dito ay pantayan natin ng aksyon natin sa apat na sulok ng Senado. Katulad po ng mandatory, kahit mandatory ROTC na lamang po sana, sana maihanda po natin ang ating mga kababayan at ganoon din po diyan聽 sa imminent danger,鈥澛� Padilla said.
(What I am saying is that the enthusiasm we have here should be matched by our actions in all corners of the Senate. Even with this mandatory ROTC, I hope we can prepare our countrymen and also address that imminent danger.)
The imminent danger he聽 mentioned was in reference to聽 a ground for the declaration聽 of聽 martial law, which he said was removed in the 1987 Constitution.
Padilla has been calling for the restoration of the said justification for martial law declaration.