MANILA — About 4 in 10 adult Filipinos believe the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) should be optional, according to the results of Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Thursday.

Of 1,200 adults polled in late March, 42 percent said ROTC should be optional and that one should be able to pick it as a course or choose community service, the SWS said.

Meanwhile, 35 percent of respondents said ROTC should be compulsory for Grade 11 and 12 students.

Twenty-two percent, meanwhile, opposed the inclusion of ROTC in the curriculum.

Some lawmakers are pushing for the return of the mandatory ROTC in college, with Sen. Bato dela Rosa eyeing to pass the ROTC bill into law before the year ends.

But the proposal met opposition from different sectors who warned that it could be abused.

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The ROTC was made optional in 2002 following the controversial death of Mark Chua, a University of Santo Tomas student who was allegedly killed by fellow cadet officers for exposing corruption in the program.

ROTC is now 1 of the 3 components of the National Service Training Program, along with the Civic Welfare Training Service and Literacy Training Service.

Currently, military service in the Philippines is voluntary.

However, the 1987 Constitution provides for the possibility of conscription.

A commissioned survey released last month suggested that nearly 8 out of 10 Filipinos support the implementation of the ROTC in college.

• Survey shows 78 pct of Pinoys back ROTC in college: senator

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