Interior Secretary Eduardo M. Año on Thursday welcomed Senate President Aquilino L.
Pimentel III’s announcement that the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections this May will proceed as scheduled.
In a news statement issued on Thursday, Año also said pushing through with the polls will give the youth a chance to elect their new set of SK officers.
More important, he added, the barangay and SK elections will lead to the implementation of the SK Reform Act, or RA 10742, under a new set of youth leadership.
Among the progressive provisions of the new SK law is its anti-dynasty provision, the first in the country’s history.
Section 10 of the said law on qualifications of an SK candidate is that he or she “must not be related within the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to any incumbent elected national official or to any incumbent elected regional, provincial, city, municipal or barangay official in the locality where he or she seeks to be elected.”
“There is so much potential for genuine change with the anticipated implementation of SK Reform Act, as the youth will lead the way to electoral reforms in the country and initiate their own political reforms and development in their communities,” Año stated. “If we don’t hold the elections, we are missing out the opportunity to give the youth a chance to meaningfully contribute to barangay development,” he added.
The SK Reform Act raised the age requirement of SK officials from 15 to 17 years old to 18 to 24 years old to legally enter into contracts and be held liable for any violation of the law.
The new SK law also mandates the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the National Youth Commission (NYC) to jointly design and implement the mandatory and continuing training programs for SK officials.
This includes capability building on leadership, program and project development and sustainability, financial management, and accountability and transparency.
Meanwhile, DILG Spokesman Assistant Secretary Jonathan E. Malaya said that all elected SK officials must undergo the mandatory training programs assuming office.
“The DILG has developed modules for the new set of officials. We are hoping that this training will equip our youth leaders with the necessary skills to perform their functions well,” he said.
Malaya added that during their incumbency, SK officials must attend the continuing training programs to be undertaken by the NYC in coordination with the DILG.
“Deliberate failure to attend the said training programs shall constitute sufficient ground to disqualify SK officials or subject them to disciplinary actions,” he said.
The new SK law allows SK officials to participate in local governance, through the creation of a Local Youth Development Council (LYDC), which will be composed of representatives of youth and youth-serving organizations in the provincial, city and municipal level. “The LYDC will also assist the planning and execution of projects and programs of the SK,” Malaya said.
The filing of the certificate of candidacy for the barangay and SK elections is scheduled from April 14 to 20, 2018, as per Commission on Elections Resolution 10246.