President’s cousin seeks reforms in Youth Council

PAOLO Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV is backing a move to overhaul the Youth Council (YC) position and not to abolish it as proposed contrary to President Benigno Aquino III’s proposal for the abolishment of the YC .

The President said that instead of a YC, the country should have a youth representative elected to the barangay council.

With the idea of the President, Valenzuela City Representative Magtanggol Gunigundo earlier filed bills, citing YC members are minors and they cannot perform legal matters considering their age (15 years old to 18 years old).

In his bill, Gunigundo stressed “the public cannot entrust power and public funds to teenagers who are just beginning to learn what responsibility and accountability are all about.”

They also should devote their time to their studies instead, the lawmaker said.

Bam Aquino admits that the different youth representatives in the county are lax on the performance of their responsibilities. However, he said abolishing the position is not the way to go as it will deprive the youth their right to participate in the legislation of laws.

He said that the process and the system should be changed because this is the usual cause of misunderstanding especially when it comes to budget.

He added that YC officials are okay with the legislation and the implementation of laws but when it comes to money matters, misunderstanding usually occurs.

He attributed this problem to the young age of the YC officials because of the lowered age limit requirement. He explained they are prone to manipulation of councilors, barangay chiefs, and their family.

Among the things which should be changed is the age limit. He said that the age requirement for SK YC candidates should be 18 to 24 years old.

Bam, 35, is the cousin of President Benigno Aquino III. He is gunning for a seat in the Senate.