Bahaghari raised alarm on yet another death of a cadet under the mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program. According to reports, a cadet named Vince Andrew delos Reyes, 19, of a merchant marine school in Calamba, Laguna died because of injuries incurred during the performance of strenuous exercises as punishment, after sending a thumbs-up sign on the cadets’ group chat.
Likewise, the group also strongly condemned the Bicol University ROTC members for their blatant extortion and violation of the rights of their fellow students. This is after seizing the placards and obstructing the students’ democratic right to freedom of expression through peaceful protest.
For Bahaghari, “the abuses and suppression of rights brought about and taught by the ROTC program highlight its blatant disregard to one’s life. The inhumane practice of using force towards fellow students breeds a fascist culture where dissent and obstructive criticism are not allowed.”
The group noted that the controversial program also perpetuates the macho-feudal culture of the Philippine society, which sees women as sexual objects and LGBTQI+ persons as clowns and entertainers. This is evident by how some universities across the country, especially with criminology programs, have a tradition of cross-dressing that mocks one’s sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE).
According to Bahaghari, “the promotion of mandatory ROTC in our places of learning is aligned with the US-Marcos’ military agenda on the issue of the West Philippine Sea (WPS), as it escalates tensions with its rival imperialist power China.”
Bahaghari calls on the public and Filipino LGBTQI+ community to oppose the imposition of mandatory ROTC, resist campus militarization, and reject policies that instill blind obedience and regressive and fascist culture on our youth. “Instead, we urge the Marcos administration to scrap the program and replace it with a program that encourages critical thinking and promotes academic freedom and human rights,” the LGBTQIA network ended.
