Philippine ex-police chief cites China threat to justify compulsory youth military training

The Philippines is debating reintroducing compulsory military training for students, but youth groups argue this will cause increased militarisation

Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who presided over President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, insisted the ROTC scheme was necessary in case ‘China attacks us’

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Ronald dela Rosa is pictured while he was Philippine National Police chief. Photo: Reuters

Published: 5:35pm, 26 Aug 2019Updated: 3:26pm, 12 Dec 2019

A Philippine senator close to President Rodrigo Duterte has said the country needs compulsory military training for the youth in case China invades – something no senior government official has ever publicly stated as a justification for the programme.

Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who was the former Philippine National Police chief and presided over the early stages of Duterte’s war on drugs, was speaking during a Senate hearing on August 22 on a proposed bill which would require all students to take the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programme.

“You love your country?” the senator widely known as Bato yelled at student leader Raoul Manuel, whose group was objecting to the bill.

“When China attacks us, whom will you get to fight those Chinese? NPA? You will go to the NPA?” he asked, referring to the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Ronald dela Rosa speaks to President Rodrigo Duterte. Photo: Reuters

While Duterte was Davao City mayor and was campaigning for the presidency in 2016, he “reportedly justified his support for mandatory ROTC training by saying that it would augment Philippine forces to repel Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea”, said Ignacio Bunye, who once served as former President Gloria Arroyo’s spokesman.