MANILA — Former President Rodrigo Duterte is pushing for “the return of basic military training” for young Filipinos, saying he “strongly supports” programs where the youth can learn basic handling of firearms to prepare them for any circumstance in the country.

The Philippines should prepare itself in case the military or police force are rendered incapable of protecting the public, Duterte said in an interview upload on Sen. Francis Tolentino’s YouTube channel.

“Even to hold, ayaw mo gumamit ng armas. Hindi gaya sa akin mahilig ako ng baril pero even just to cap o papaano papasok ang bullet sa chamber matuto ka lang naman kasi kung maubos ang military pati pulis,” he said.

“Kung wala na yang dalawang pwersa na yan, and kayong civilians, tayo na lang ang maiwan, alam ba ninyo humawak ng baril? Maski basic lang naman just to aim and fire and to get a direction that you need to maybe to kill the enemy, yan ang importante,” he said.

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“Kukuha lang kayo ng konting training para just to learn the basic, paano humawak ng baril, importante paano sumunod because hindi tayo pwedeng maging leader lahat,” he said.

Young Filipinos should undergo a mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) to also learn what to do during “nuclear or dynamite” explosions, the 78-year-old politician said.

“Baka dumating ang panahon na magkaisa tayo where to go and where not to go, yan ang problema, what to do. Ano ba ang gagawin ko kung magkagulo na ang mundo when the, ang buhay natin, ang mundo natin is on fire, how do you react? What you should do? You can only get it from a basic military training,” Duterte said.

“Whatever explosion whether it could nuclear or dynamite talagang magkakaroon ng ano, it is very important na lahat tayo, kayo alam natin kung saan tumakbo,” he said.

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“‘Yung hindi dumaan sa ROTC, I am sorry for you. I am really sorry for them. Kasi kung totoo man, baka magkagulo talaga ang bayan natin, hindi mo alam saan ka pupunta,” he said.

A mandatory ROTC course can also help instill patriotism among Filipinos, said Duterte, who has been vocal about his love for the Philippines despite forging closer ties with China amid its continued incursions in the West Philippine Sea.

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“Ang ROTC connected yan really yung sense of patriotism, alam ninyo mga anak, kailangan ninyong magnurture ng pagmamahal ng bayan,” he said.

“Hindi nakukuha sa isang activity yan. It does not, hindi mo nai-imbibe lahat yan, nai-imbibe mo yan sa discipline at ang discipline nakatutok palagi sa ano ang gobyerno, ano ang bayan natin,” he said.

The former President added that Filipinos should not be wary of the kind of discipline being instilled during ROTC classes, saying that these are parts of the military discipline that the youth has to learn.

“Ano ba naman ang two years na sa buhay ninyo, disiplina. Of course sigawan ka nyan. Natural yan. Pakunwari lang yan. Sa military training, it comes naturally na sigaw sigawan ka. Ganun ang training,” he said.

“To put it simply, it is just to have to obey. Walang resistance. Kapag sinabi ganyan, tutal training lang naman. Every Saturday lang yan, ano ba naman ang sakripisyo mo na yan,” he said.

Vice President Sara Duterte — the former president’s daughter, who now heads the Department of Education — earlier said that it would be better to implement the mandatory ROTC program in higher education levels.

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