THE Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Reform Act of 2015, or Republic Act 10742, outlines the mechanisms and meaningful reforms that would guide the youth to be independent and to get away from the traditional way of politicking and engaging in partisan politics. The SK law introduced the anti-dynasty provision by barring a close relative of an incumbent official from running for SK position.
There is an anti-dynasty provision in the 1987 Constitution but Congress failed to pass an enabling law for it because politicians are protecting their personal interest. That is why we can still hear the same family names running for various positions during elections.
The SK decides on matters affecting the youth in the barangay. But the “meaningful reforms” in the SK law have been set aside by the youth who are being used and influenced by traditional politicians. We saw this during the May 14 barangay and SK elections. Sadly, the youths also allowed themselves to be exploited.
SK bets sought the endorsement of some politicians and political parties and even asked for funding from them. They should not have done so because the SK polls is supposed to be non-partisan.
Upon their election, SK chairpersons openly affiliated themselves to political parties. In Cebu City, the administration Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) and the opposition Barug PDP-Laban recruited the winning SK chairpersons to ensure the victory of their endorsed federation president who will sit as an ex-officio member in the city council.
Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino invited the winning SK chairpersons in Cebu City to Malacañang last Wednesday to have an audience with President Duterte and Special Assistant to the President Bong Go. According to Dino’s press release the SK chairpersons were invited so they will be exposed to the “change agenda” of the administration that espouses a drug-and-corruption-free leadership “that transcends politics.”
“OPAV is mandated to bring the Office of the President closer to the people up to the grassroots level to ensure that their concerns will be addressed immediately,” the press release said.
I won’t argue about Dino’s intention. I am just wondering why he only invited the SK chairpersons of Cebu City. Did he extend the same invitation to the SK chairpersons of the other cities in Metro Cebu? He claimed no government money were spent because he used his own money.
Dino is doing this because he intends to poison the minds of the SK chairpersons so they will vote for the opposition bet for SK federation president endorsed by the opposition. The opposition has already given up the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) seat in the council because BOPK-allied barangay captains got the majority in the last elections.
If the BOPK gets the ABC and SK federation presidents, it will control the city council. But if the opposition gets the SK federation president, the group will still dominate the council with Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella breaking the tie.
Dino is poking his fingers into the city’s politics even if his mandate is to assist and represent the President in the Visayas. With his politicking concentrated in Cebu City, he is courting more enemies than friends. Not a good idea.