By: Nino Aclan

SENATOR  Robinhood “Robin” C. Padilla on Sunday reiterated his full support for Sen. Francis Tolentino and for the passage into law of a measure for mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC).

In his speech at the opening of the Luzon Qualifying Leg of the ROTC Games 2024 in Cavite, Padilla also stressed that everything is good between him and Tolentino in the political scene.

“Hangga’t bingi ang Kongreso sa itinutulak ni Sen. Tolentino na mandatory ROTC training, laging malulungkot ang ating bansa sapagka’t alam nyo ang ating kabataan sa Konstitusyon yan, malinaw, na dapat ang mga Pilipino handa sa anuman lalo sa pag-ibig di puro giyera (So long as Congress remains deaf to Tolentino’s push for mandatory ROTC training, the country will be sad because the Constitution decrees that Filipinos must be ready for anything, in love and war),” he said.

Padilla, a reserve Lt. Col. in the Philippine Army, is a passionate supporter of mandatory ROTC. He said mandatory ROTC is needed to prepare the youth not only for war but also to help in times of calamity.

Also, Padilla insisted there is no bad blood between him and Tolentino, who he had advised to resign from the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino where he is president, so he can focus on his role as Senate majority leader.

“Alam nyo, magkaibigan kaming totoo. Pagka nagbasa kayo ng dyaryo, manood ng social media, pinag-aaway kaming dalawa. Huwag kayong maniwala doon. Dahil ako sasabihin ko sa inyo, kung may isang tunay na senador sa Senado yan ho ay si Sen. Tol Tolentino (You know, Sen. Tolentino and I are real friends. If you read the papers or social media, it seems both of us have bad blood. Don’t believe that. I’m telling you now, if there is a real senator, it’s Sen. Tolentino),” he said.

“Hindi ako nangangampanya. Sinisigurado ko sa inyo magiging maganda ang kinabukasan ng Pilipinas kay Francis Tol Tolentino (I am not campaigning. I am telling you that the Philippines has a good future with Tolentino),” he added.

Meanwhile, Padilla told the youths taking part in the ROTC Games to always remember that Filipinos are not beholden to anyone because the Philippines is a free country.

He reiterated ROTC, and not being keyboard warriors, is needed to prepare youths to defend our freedom.

“Kilala tayo na mapagmahal, kilala tayong matapang. Wala na tayong patunayan… Isa lang ang problema. Hindi tayo united. Yan ang problema. At yan matututunan natin sa ROTC (na) lahat tayo nasa isang bandila (We are known for being loving and courageous. We have nothing to prove… But we have one problem, and it is that we are not united. We can learn from ROTC that we are under one flag),” he said.

Padilla likewise advised the youths undergoing ROTC to become “ambassadors” to other members of Congress, so mandatory ROTC will become a law.