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Thoughts on the news this day

I've read from the national blurbs the following

Massacre of 20 soldiers in Jolo

The Yellow (centrist) blurb and the Blue (left-leaning) blurb had op-ed and headlines about the massacre of army troops in Jolo. My dad must be spinning in his Libingan ng mga Bayani grave. On this is sure, the AFP leadership better account for this loss as it reflects on the Queen as commander-in-chief. The Peemayers who make up top brass should tender their resignation and or if not Her Majesty should have their heads cut off (I'm speaking here in the figurative sense!)

One retired Air Force general and EDSA 1 hero likened the Sulu massacre to the Charge of the Light Brigade. He writes that the AFP should be better called AFGMA!

How I wish the Great Saluyot Max Soliven were still around writing columns for the Yellow blurb. He would have thundered with a lot of sanamagans and compared this to the similar debacles during Apo Ferdinand's presidency. At least the great Apo immediately crushed the enemy and drove them to the negotiating table. I don't know what the our Cabalen will do aside from saying that are GDP growth rate is astonishing.

BTW, the Great Saluyot rests a few paces away from my Dad's grave. I'm sure we have two men spinning in their graves. And probably the Great Vibora too is spinning in his grave too.

On making the ROTC compulsory

The Great Saluyot and my Dad the General were products of the ROTC. If I'm not mistaken the Saluyot was once Corps Commander of Ateneo. The ROTC has produced competent officers and citizens of this Republic. The Saluyot and the General were in Vietnam and all the wars of our Republic. Yours truly is a product of the ROTC (and hopes not to go to war!).

A bill has been filed in Congress making the ROTC mandatory for male college students. Representative Arthur Celeste of Pangasinan authored the bill.

I'm not in agreement for one single reason. Why?

Why males only? Women should drill every Saturday too. I fight for gender equality. Aside from the biological differences, there isn't a man can do that a woman can't and vice versa. This is the new millennium and the 21st century!

In UP I would want to see women drill on the General Antonio Luna Parade ground, fire a mortar and howitzer and be a sniper. And why should guys be only the break detail. Females should bring the soft drinks too.

Long live Gender equality!

But I'm in agreement with the proposed bill. ROTC should be mandated as part of the present National Service Training program. Today it is voluntary with some colleges dispensing with military training at all.

Students could spend 1 year of ROTC then choose to take other service options. Those inclined can take the whole ROTC course.

Looking back the benefits of ROTC for me included

1) Saving my life and that of others when we got lost in Australian outback. Discipline and map reading and orienteering skills (which I learned in Military Science 12) came in handy.

2) I am able to command and lead in the military and civilian contexts

3) I am able to obey legitimate command without question

4) I know how to use weapons

5) I know logistics management

The list is long. But this is more valuable in life than the things that undergrads learn in their NSTP courses that include paper folding and some leftists ideological ___!

Comments

cindy25 said…
this is the 21st century, and compulsory military training is a thing that should be relegated to the past.

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