AT LEAST 819 Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) vacancies were recorded by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the Cordillera region with Ifugao having the largest vacancy at 135.
Mountain Province has 124 vacancies followed by Kalinga with 122, Baguio City with 121, Benguet with 112, Abra with 105 while Apayao had the least with 100 vacancies.
Because of the vacancies incurred after the May 2018 Barangay and SK Elections, the DILG approved Memorandum Circular 2018-212 which sets the guidelines in the conduct of a nationwide special elections on or before January 20,2019.
Any registered member of the Sangguniang Kabataan before the SK secretary or barangay secretary are eligible to cast votes during the special election to be held in a venue identified by the Board of Election Supervisors consisting of the DILG, Commission on Elections (Comelec), and civil society or non-government or faith based organizations.
The vacancies to be filled up will include those SK official who refuses to assume office, fails to qualify, voluntarily resigns, dies, have become permanently incapacitated, or is removed from office.
The move to complete the lists is based on the bidding of Republic Act 10742 or the SK Reform Act of 2015 establishing reforms in the SK and creating mechanisms for meaningful youth participation in nation building.
The special election is necessary to rule SK as a local council meant to represent the youth in the barangay.