THE KABATAAN Party-list called on the government to give more budget to state and local universities and colleges instead of funding the mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps.

The group said that the government should worry more about losing scholars due to budget cuts in SUCs.

“Paano po maglalaho ang pulis at militar kung taon-taon dumadagdag ang budget at sahod nila? Sayang pa nga ang pondo kung ‘di nila madedepensahan ang West Philippine Sea. Mas matakot po sana tayo na mawala ang mga iskolar ng bayan dahil sa budget cuts sa State Universities and Colleges na aabot sa P6.2 billion,” the group said.

“Kung ipinaglaban lang ni Rodrigo Duterte na matupad ang Hague Ruling noong pangulo pa siya, hindi sana tayo maiipit ngayon sa pangamba ng gera,” it added, referring to the former president.

“Worse, he even invalidated the abuses suffered by victims of Mandatory ROTC. Hindi nakukuha ang disiplina sa paninigaw. Trauma lang epekto niyan. Kung gusto natin ng disiplina kailangan ng tamang sistema at gabay. Kung gusto natin ng nasyunalismo kailangan natin ng kalayaan magpahayag at mag-aral,” the group added.

Kabataan Party-list, which advocates cultivating a nationalist, scientific and mass-oriented education and culture, filed the Expanded National Student Training Program Bill in the 19th Congress as an alternative to mandatory ROTC.