THE National Youth Commission on Tuesday called on lawmakers to let the Sangguniang Kabataan elections push through against moves to suspend again the barangay polls.
“If they don’t want the barangay elections, we understand that, but not the SK elections…It’s been years,” NYC chairperson Carissa Seguerra said in a Palace news briefing.
“We have already implemented changes within the SK. [But] please give SK a chance,” the NYC chairperson added.
Seguerra said they were “disappointed” with the move to have the youth polls suspended for the second straight year, citing the importance of the youth’s involvement in governance.
“What we’re vying for is representation. It is very important that there will be representation for the youth even in the barangays,” she said.
On Monday, the House of Representatives’ committee on suffrage and electoral reforms approved the measure postponing the Oct. 23, 2017 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to May 14, 2018.
The approval of the proposed postponement of village and youth polls followed an all-party caucus last week where lawmakers agreed to hold the barangay elections in time for the Charter change plebiscite and the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law in May next year.
Despite the current gaps on the non-implementation of certain provisions of the Republic Act 10742 or the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act, Seguerra clarified that whether or not the SK elections would take place this year, they were working to ensure youth representation through the Local Youth Development Councils in partnership with local government units.
RA 10742 seeks to implement various reforms in the barangay youth arm, which has long been criticized for being inefficient and corrupt.
Various groups have called for the SK’s abolition.
The new SK reform law has anti-political dynasty provisions that bars relatives of elected or appointed officials up to the 2nd degree of consanguinity from pursuing SK posts.