SENATOR Robinhood Padilla on Monday said he hopes the bill for a mandatory Reserve Officer Training Corps or ROTC to gain ground in the Senate, saying it is much needed now.

“Sana ma-encourage ang mga kapatid kong senador na ipasa ang mandatory ROTC. Sana maintindihan. Alam kong naintindihan nila. Alam kong nakukuha nila ang point namin,” he said.

At the same time, the senator stressed that saving lives should be the priority of the training of reservists of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Padilla made the statement at the Basic Citizen Military Course in the Senate, where actor Enrico Raphael ‘Rocco’ Nacino was the inspirational speaker.

Padilla said the nation also needs more members of the AFP nurse corps like Nacino, to respond to calamities and unexpected incidents, especially with conflicts erupting in many parts of the globe.

“Kailangan natin ng Nurse Corps sapagkat ‘pag may nangyaring kalamidad o ‘di inaasahang gulo, kailangan natin ng mga nurse corps, na alam ang gagawin ‘pag emergency,” he said.

“Meron kaya tayong ganyan karaming anti-missile, anti-aircraft at anti-drone? Pero kung lahat matuto tayo ng emergency services yan na lang muna kasi wala tayong maipagmamalaki sa weapon,” he added.

In his inspirational talk, Nacino — a 2nd Lieutenant in the Nurse Corps of the AFP Reserve Command’s Civil Military Affair Brigade — stressed the importance of helping fellow Filipinos.

Nacino said he started his BCMC training in 2016 to prepare for his role in the adaptation of the Korean series Descendants of the Sun.