DILG Cebu City clarifies payment requirement for SK Federation polls

ARE elected Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairpersons being held “hostage” by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Cebu City?

According to opposition Councilor Joel Garganera, he has received several reports from SK chairpersons on the matter.

An official of DILG Cebu City allegedly said they will not issue a certificate of appearance to those who cannot pay the seminar workshop fees.

The certificate was reportedly one of the requirements for an elected chairperson to join the SK Federation elections on May 28.

“I just want fairness from the city DILG. What is primordial? The payment or the right to suffrage of the SK chairmen? This is detrimental to the SK leaders and unbecoming of DILG,” Garganera told reporters.

Garganera wrote to DILG Cebu City Director Emma Joyevelyn Calvo yesterday to request for an explanation.

Calvo, in a separate interview, denied the allegations.

She said there are two sets of trainings elected SK officials were mandated to undergo.

The first one was held in the morning of May 17 at the Cebu Institute of Technology-University. The 640 elected SK officials took oath in the afternoon of the same day.

Calvo said the first mandatory training required each elected official to pay P2,000 for their kits, the venue and the resource speakers.

The payment for this, she said, will be taken from the barangay funds.

Only elected SK chairpersons will be participating in the second set of seminar workshop, which will be held on May 28 to 29.

Along with their seminar workshop is the election of the president and board members of the SK Federation.

This time, the 80 SK chairpersons will have to pay P3,500 each.

“Tungod kay naay problema sa mga barangays karun, naay barangays na na-suspend ang accounts, treasurers who resigned kay ningdagan pag election, ang Office of the Mayor na lang ang mubayad sa tag P3,500 ang usa (Because some barangays encountered problems—some had their accounts suspended or their treasurers resigned to run in the last elections—the Office of the Mayor will pick up the tab),” Calvo said.

“Katong wa kabayad sa pag- (Those who were unable to pay) last May 17, we made the payment a prerequisite for the May 28 activity. Our regional director (Atty. Rene Burdeos) advised to let them join pending the payment. However, they will not be able to get their certificate of participation until they can pay,” she said.