Best Male ROTC Cadet Speaks Out on UPMin–11th RCDG Dispute

DAVAO CITY—The Philippine Army’s Best Male ROTC Cadet for 2025 has called for a fact-based discussion and a “win-win solution” amid renewed demands to relocate the 11th Regional Community Defense Group from the vicinity of the University of the Philippines Mindanao campus.

Cadet Colonel Kent Andrey Ladica Pasco, a student of the University of Southeastern Philippines and corps commander of its NSTP-ROTC unit, issued the statement as student councils and publications from across the UP System gathered at UP Mindanao for the 50th KASAMA sa UP National Congress, the UP Solidaridad Biannual Congress, and related assemblies from August 3 to 8.

A protest held in Mintal on August 6 renewed the call to relocate the 11th RCDG as participants denounced what they described as “campus militarization and state repression.

Pasco said he respects the right of students to speak and question government institutions. However, he argued that the discussion must begin with the complete history of the area and evidence supporting allegations against the reserve unit.

“The issue should not become students versus soldiers,” Pasco said. “The goal should be a fair solution for UP Mindanao, the 11th RCDG, and [the communities surrounding them.]”

Pasco was recognized by the University of Southeastern Philippines as the Philippine Army’s Best Male ROTC Cadet for 2025 during the Army’s 129th founding anniversary on March 19, 2026.

A presence predating UP Mindanao

A central point in Pasco’s argument is that the Army reserve unit had already been operating in the area decades before UP Mindanao was established.

Publicly available accounts place the Army reserve presence in Mintal as early as 1957. The current organization was formally activated in 1979 and acquired its present name in 1994, according to the unit’s published institutional history. Its mandate to organize and train reservists for national defense and disaster response is provided under Republic Act No. 7077.

UP Mindanao, meanwhile, was legally established on February 20, 1995 through Republic Act No. 7889. The university began its initial academic operations the following year. Proclamation No. 822 later reserved 204 hectares in Bago Oshiro and Mintal for the campus.

Pasco said this timeline challenges the impression that the Army recently entered an already established campus.

“The 11th RCDG has been in the area since 1957. UP Mindanao was established in 1995 and began operations in 1996,” he said. “It is not accurate to say that the military simply entered an existing campus and militarized it.”

In 2017, the UP Mindanao University Student Council opposed a reported request by the 11th RCDG for at least 20 hectares within the 204-hectare reservation. The proposed area was intended for reserve and ROTC training. The student council argued that the expansion could threaten academic freedom and deepen military presence around the campus.

Long-running relocation campaign

Calls for relocation gained renewed momentum in 2025 when the UP Mindanao All Student Councils Assembly endorsed a resolution seeking the camp’s transfer. The proposal was later adopted during a UP General Assembly of Student Councils.

On August 11, 2025, Kabataan Party-list and ACT Teachers Party-list filed House Resolution No. 129, urging the House of Representatives to support the immediate relocation of the 11th RCDG.

Student leaders have linked their demand to allegations of surveillance, intimidation, red-tagging, uncoordinated entry of military personnel into university buildings, and the sighting of armed personnel near academic spaces.

The 11th RCDG has denied the accusations. In July 2025, the unit said it had no recorded complaint involving abuse filed before the police, barangay, or other proper authorities. Discussions between the Army and the university were already underway at the time.

In February 2026, UP Mindanao Vice Chancellor for Administration Leo Estaña reportedly said the university had submitted a relocation proposal and recommended creating a joint technical working group. He also acknowledged that any final decision would have to involve the UP System, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Department of National Defense.

Pasco questions disruption of ROTC activities

Pasco said the latest protests affected ROTC cadets who were undergoing classroom instruction at the camp. He also alleged that demonstrators shouted slogans during the unit’s flag-raising ceremony and their lessons on International Humanitarian Law on August 3.

“We are also students who want to study,” he said, asking why ROTC cadets’ activities had to be disrupted when they were not interfering with classes inside UP Mindanao.

Pasco also addressed complaints that protesters were being photographed or recorded. He said documentation of activities conducted in public should not automatically be interpreted as intimidation or surveillance.

According to him, ROTC cadets may also need records of an incident to protect themselves from misinformation or accusations circulating on social media. He nevertheless said documentation must not be used to harass or threaten individuals.

“If there are claims of surveillance, improper photography, intimidation, or other violations, the evidence should be presented and the authorities should investigate properly,” he said.

Recruitment claim requires careful distinction

While accusations of “militarization” in the UP Mindanao campus remain to be proven, Pasco said that recruitment to the NPA in the university has happened. “...mas accurate at mas may ebidensya na sabihin na may recruitment ng CPP-NPA-NDF doon kase maraming namatay at nadakip na mga UP Min students tulad nina Rendell Ryan Cagula, Alvin Rey Santiago, mariel Pagoto and Arian Jane Ramos,” he said.

A statement published by the communist movement itself said Santiago joined the NPA in 2010 and died during an armed operation in Davao Oriental in 2011. Cagula was killed in a 2014 encounter in Sarangani.

Ramos has publicly acknowledged becoming an NPA leader after leaving the university. She surrendered in August 2021 and was identified as a former secretary of Guerrilla Front 55. Pagoto was arrested during a 2024 military operation in Bukidnon.

Commenters echo call for collaboration

Several Facebook users responding to Pasco’s post supported his appeal for dialogue and proposed practical cooperation among UP Mindanao students, ROTC cadets, and nearby communities.

Dazz Gem Ugpo suggested that the groups work together on disaster and emergency-preparedness activities for the benefit of the community. “Ba’t ’di na lang mag-collaborate ang students and ROTC cadets, tapos isali ang mga taong naninirahan doon?” Ugpo wrote.

Renier Anne Olguira said the public should consider the facts, history, and context beyond the competing narratives surrounding the controversy.

“Real change doesn’t come from shouting over each other. It comes from collaboration, understanding, and the willingness to listen even when we disagree,” Olguira wrote. “Hindi kailangang magkalaban para maipaglaban ang paninindigan.”

Gemperoso Nuñez Fernando Jr. similarly urged people to “be open to every perspective,” while Jasmin Senarillos said cooperation could make the community “more prepared and resilient.”

Pasco ultimately called for formal dialogue involving the UP administration, the Philippine Army, Reserve Command, concerned government offices, legitimate student representatives, and the surrounding communities.

“Can we not coexist peacefully?” he asked. “Students din naman kami na gustong mag-aral tulad ninyo.”