Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte said on Wednesday that she wants to bring back mandatory military service for adults if elected vice president.
Duterte, in a virtual caravan, said that she would use her position as vice president to talk to lawmakers and make military service mandatory for people aged 18 years old.
This is similar to the initial proposal of her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, who wanted to make the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps mandatory again in 2019.
However, the vice-presidential aspirant said her program will be for all - both male and female - and will not just be a single subject nor will get carried out in a single weekend or month.
"Hindi po ROTC lang… Dapat po, pagtungtong mo ng 18 years old, you'll be given a subsidy, you’ll be asked to serve our country, doon sa AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines," she said.
(This is not just ROTC… It should be that once someone turns 18 years old, they will be given a subsidy, they will be asked to serve the country, the AFP.)
The vice presidential aspirant cited the situation in South Korea, where male citizens between the ages of 18 and 28 are required to serve the military. She also mentioned Israel, where a similar program is conducted for Israeli citizens over the age of 18.
In the Philippines, ROTC used to be mandatory but later became optional and voluntary for college students in 2001.
