Death of student in Iloilo not ROTC program-related – AFP

March 13, 2019

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Wednesday that the killing of a Reserve Offices' Training Corps cadet in Iloilo was a “plain criminal act” and not training-related.

Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesman, said the military also expressed its condolences to the relatives of Willy Amihoy, 23, who was found dead inside a comfort room of a dormitory of Iloilo State College of Fisheries Dumangas Campus last Monday.

“What happened was a plain criminal act that sprung from an altercation between two private individuals over personal matter," he said.

“There is no way that this is ROTC-related incident or that it could have happened in a ROTC training environment,” he added.

Arevalo lamented that there were certain groups engaged in distorting the facts as they were desperate to discredit both the ROTC Program and malign the reputation of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The Chief Executive wants to revive ROTC and make it mandatory among the students.

Arevalo said that suspect Elmer Decilao, 22, a 4th year college student of ISCOF, was not associated with the ROTC program.

“Decilao, the alleged perpetrator now under police custody, has never been ROTC Corps Commander,” he said.

“The AFP advocates for the ROTC Program to be a requirement for Grades 11 and 12. It believes that the program will help instill nationalism and patriotism to the youth and inculcate on them discipline, sense of purpose, respect for the laws, rules, regulations, and the authorities and the elders,” Arevalo said. Robina Asido/DMS