FACT-CHECK: Meme falsely claims Sen. Risa Hontiveros opposes ROTC

A meme on the Hukbo.com Facebook page falsely claimed that Sen. Risa Hontiveros is opposed to the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC).

Using the false premise, it chided Hontiveros for seeking to defend the West Philippine Sea but without  supporting military training through the ROTC.

As reported by PressOne.PH last year, however, Hontiveros is opposed only to the “mandatory” aspect of the program, as it limits students’ choices.

In a statement on March 3, Hontiveros said she didn’t want the violence associated with ROTC to recur and called on the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education to “focus on actively making campuses safe spaces.”

Statements by Hontiveros reviewed by PressOne.PH did not mention opposition to the ROTC itself, just proposals to make it mandatory. — Nicaflor Baltazar

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