President Aquino is still undecided if the government will implement the mandatory training among college students for the Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC).

Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the President is still waiting for the recommendation of Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin on the matter before he makes any decision.

Lacierda said so far, Gazmin has not yet completed his study on the possibility of reviving ROTC in college. Gazmin had earlier said he is in favor of the mandatory ROTC in schools supposedly to instill discipline and augment the military force in time of emergencies.

“Once the study is finalized by the Department of National Defense (DND), it will be submitted to the President for his approval,” Lacierda said over government radio. “Right now, there is no decision yet. There is no final study from the DND,” he added.

Lacierda said the government would consider the “noble objectives” of the ROTC, introduced in 1983, as well as the concerns raised by some groups about its problematic implementation in the past.

“The purpose of reviving the ROTC is to instill discipline and involve the youth in civic duties especially during calamities and elections. This would spare the military from partisan politics,” he said.