President Rodrigo Duterte approved on Tuesday a proposal to amend the law, making the Reserve Officers Training Course (ROTC) to be mandatory once more.

In a post on his Facebook account, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol said ROTC will be enforced in Grades 11 and 12 in public and private schools.

Duterte gave his nod on the return of the mandatory ROTC during a Cabinet meeting, which "discussed the issue thoroughly," he said.

"This will now be forwarded to Congress and Senate and certified as urgent by President Duterte," he added.

He said it was Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana who made the presentation in the Cabinet, proposing an amendment to Republic Act 7077 to make ROTC mandatory.

Quoting Lorenzana, Pinol said ROTC "instills patriotism, love of country, moral and spiritual values, respect for human rights and adherence to Constitution."

He recalled the implementation of the mandatory ROTC was stopped in 2001 following a series of scandals which rocked the program, including the death of a Manila student due to hazing.

"The strict implementation of the Anti-Hazing Law was among the measures presented to avoid the repeat of hazing deaths," he added.

Also approved "with conditions" in the Cabinet meeting was the iDOLE - OFW Identification Card System, said Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella, who did not give details. Celerina Monte/DMS