MANILA — The death of a student allegedly at the hands of a Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) corps commander in Iloilo should not be linked to the ROTC program, the military's spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said personal grudge was the motive in the death of Willy Amihoy.

"Naniniwala pa rin ang Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas na ang ROTC ay makabubuti sa ating kabataan," Arevalo said.

(The Armed Forces of the Philippines still believes the ROTC will be good for the youth.)

Amihoy, 23, was found dead inside the comfort room of the boys' dormitory of Iloilo State College of Fisheries (ISCOF) Dumangas Campus on Monday noon.

The suspect behind his death was 22-year-old Elmer Decilao, an ROTC corps commander in the same college.

Police said Amihoy bullied Decilao by accusing him of stealing a wallet.

This irked the suspect until he allegedly killed the victim by hitting him on the head with a pipe.

• ROTC commander accused of killing fellow student

Arevalo's statement came as the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) condemned Amihoy's death, and expressed concern over violence in schools and in the ROTC program.

"It is unfortunate that both were under a national program meant to develop physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being," said the CHR in a statement.

"Violence should never be allowed in schools and universities—places where we expect our children to learn and grow in safe environments that even stand as their second homes," the CHR added.

The school administration has yet to issue a statement on the incident.

Decilao will face murder charges, police said.

Mandatory military training in college was made optional in 2002 following the death of Mark Chua, a University of Santo Tomas student who was allegedly slain by course officers after exposing fund mismanagement.

ROTC is now one of the three components of the National Service Training Program (NSTP), a civic education and defense preparedness program for students, along with Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) and Literacy Training Service (LTS).

-- With a report from Zhander Cayabyab, ABS-CBN News