THE PHILIPPINE STAR

Rody certifies as urgent bill, on mandatory ROTC

By ALEXIS ROMERO A,bill certified as urgent by one of three NSTP components nomic sabotage, punishable by the scope of RA 8484 has been on trade, commerce and entre
the President can get second studonts can choose from, Iife impris6nment and a fine of expanded to indude automated preneurship recomrnended th
President Duterte vesterdav and final reading approval on along with Civic Welfare Train- up to P5 million. . teller machine (ATM) fraud approval without amendment
certifted as urgent the"bill see(- the same day. ing Service and the Literary ' Sen. Francis Escudero said through skimming, hacking of oI SB 6710, which provides fo
ing the restoration of the man- The House of Reprcsenta- Training Service. the rapid development ofinfor- the banking systern, counterfeit- additional prohibitions on th
datory Reserve Officers' Train- tives passed on final reading The death of University' of mation technology and the eco- ins of credit or debit card. use of access devices in com
the bill reviving ROTC for Santo Tomas cadet Mark Wel- nomic impact of financial fraud "Mere possession of any mercial tlansactions.
ing Cbrps (ROTC) program.
In a letter to Senate Prcsi- grades 11 and 12 students last son Chua in 2001 at the hands and crimes committed through type of skimming devices or Under tl-re bill, hacking of
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dent \4cente Sotto trI, Duterte ironth. The Senate's version of of his officers and fellow UST lhe use of eleckonic devices and even attempts to access an bank's system. skimrnhg of 5l
said restoring basic military the measure is sfrll in the period cadets sparked a clamor for gadgets necessitate the need to application or online bank- or more ATM cards or onlinr
and leadership haining for the of interpellation- the scrappihg of mandatory provide more teeth to Republic ing account. regardless of banking accor.rnts, credit card
youth wouJd reinvigorate their The mandatory ROTC pro- ROTC. Chua was killed for ex- Act 84&1 or the "Access Devices whether or not it will result in and debit cards constihrtes eco
sense of nationalism. gram was abolished after for- 'posing irregularities in the uni- Regulaiion Act of 199.8." monetary loss to the account nomic sabotage, a non-bailabl
These qualities are necessary mer oresident Gloria Macaoa- versit/s ROTC pmgram. Senate Bill 671.0 was ap- holdec #il] now be punishable offense punishable by l.ife im
in defending the state and in gal-drroyo signed the Natiojnal Meanwhile, the Senate has . proved with 20 affirmative with imprisonment. prisonment and fines ranginl
further promoting the youth's Service Training Prcgram aoomved on third readine a votes, no abstentions and no The Senate committee on from P1 million to P5 million.
vital role in natibn building, he (NSTP) law in 2002. nirjasure that declares had.Yng negative
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votes, banks, fiJrandal ifftitutions and - With Paolo Romero, Ce
added. Under the law, ROTC is just of bank systems as form of eco- top of stiffer penalties, currencies and the committee cille Suerte Felipe

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