Thursday, January 15, 2009 Shock greets SK president's resignation in council By Jane Cadalig
MEMBERS of the La Trinidad Municipal Council were left seeking a legal opinion over the intention of one of their colleagues to relinquish her position as a councilor.
The decision of Councilor Jane Aprille Luis to resign came as a surprise to her seniors, who were caught unaware of her sudden move.
Luis, in her letter to Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Benguet Federation president Gracelyn Carboro, cited education and health as the main reason for her resignation.
Luis heads the La Trinidad SK federation. As an ex-officio member of the council, she receives the same privileges received by a regular councilor.
The young lawmaker tendered her resignation letter on January 8 and this was acknowledged by Carboro last January 9.
"The undersigned has been and will always be grateful for all the opportunities and experiences provided during her one-year stint as the SK Federation president. The honor is hers to have been chosen to serve and lead her peers, the youth," said Luis in her letter.
"Despite all these considerations, her grades have been pulled down removing her from the dean's list. Such has brought her to the attention of her adviser, considering her teacher's feedback (is) that her grades have been affected since her being an SK official. There has also been an episode of fainting due to fatigue and mild stroke causing alarm to her parents as they rushed her to the hospital," the letter further stated.
She declined to comment on the issue when asked for an interview.
Stunned by the decision, municipal councilors asked Luis if she could reconsider her move, but the youngest member of the council maintained her stand.
The legislative body counseled Luis to make another letter to indicate that her resignation will take effect January 31 and not as cited in her January 8 letter. This will be effective upon receipt of the SKF provincial president, as provided in the youth organization's Constitution and By-Laws (CBL).
This came as municipal councilors raised questions on the validity of the CBL. This was cited as the basis for the acceptance of Luis' resignation.
Councilor Jim Botiwey said the new set of SK federation officers should have ratified the CBL first.
"In the case of the new set of officers (SK federation-Benguet), the CBL was not ratified which raises doubt on the validity of the action of the SK (Benguet federation) president," said Botiwey, a former SK federation president.
"We are not questioning personalities here. What we want to be clarified is the legality of the process," he added.
Councilor Albert Tacio said the SKF Benguet federation president should have referred the resignation to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
For his part, Vice Mayor Samuel Esguerra said he should have prevented Luis had he known of her move earlier.
Councilor Jerome Selmo, on the other hand, advised his colleagues to let whoever is interested to sit as the SK municipal federation president to do his or her own research and present to the council legal bases why he or she should seat as member of the Municipal Council.
But Councilor Dioniso Literato believes there was pressure. "I believe there have been pressures from who ever is interested in the position," he said.
Councilor Felix Loy-odan, meanwhile, said Luis should remain pending a legal decision on her case.
Bridgette Ulep, municipal Interior and Local Government Officer, advised the council to make further clarifications regarding Luis's case with the National Youth Commission (NYC).
Ulep said direct supervision of youth affairs are now with the NYC.
She also dismissed insinuations the reason for Luis's decision is politics. "I would just take her letter as it is. I don't want to dwell on allegations of reasons other than what she cited in her resignation letter."
Like the councilors, Ulep said it is her first time to encounter a case that of Luis.
"It is my first time to come across with an SK president relinquishing her position. Mostly, I received SK federation presidents being complained and asked to resign for inefficiency and other reasons, but this case is the reverse because the SK head is voluntarily resigning," said Ulep. "(Nevertheless), this case will serve as an eye-opener for us."
She said Luis will continue to dispose her functions as municipal SK federation president until a clear decision from the NYC is made.
She also said Luis will remain as the SK chairperson of Barangay Balili. "What she is quitting is only her position as SK federation president, not as barangay SK chair." (Jennie Palugod and Adelfa Vicente)
