NAGA
CITY, Oct 8 - The National Youth Commission (NYC), as the voice and advocate of the
youth, strongly supports the institutionalization of reforms within the
Sangguniang Kabataan (SK). We oppose any move to abolish or dissolve the
institution.
The
National Youth Commission fully supports the postponement of the SK
elections to give ample time for Congress to decide on the reforms
needed by the institution. It is unconscionable to allow another batch of 15-17
years old to be subjected to a system and process that is in dire need of
massive structural and organizational reforms. As early as the registration,
there are reports of adults and parents who have inveigled or coerced their
children to register for SK against their will, some even to the point of
asking some youth to register in a barangay where they do not reside. We will
witness the same familiar challenges (corruption, ineffectiveness, vote-buying,
exploitation, etc) that hound the SK if we are to push through with the SK
polls this year.
We
are fully grateful and supportive of the Senate version which defers the elections to 2014 with the incumbent
SKs on hold over capacity. Viewed as the least disruptive modality, this allows
continuity of programs on the ground while Congress discusses the needed
reforms. While there are concerns about the incumbents being over-age,
the setting of the age and the policy decision on hold over is, at the end of
the day, purely a Congressional prerogative. We have full faith in both
chambers of Congress that before the end of 2014, a truly responsive, empowered
and empowering youth Council at various levels shall have been put in place.
We
are, however, uncomfortable with the version offered by COMELEC and the House
of Representative Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms where there is no
hold over and the seats for SKs are vacated until 2016. THIS VERSION
OF THE POSTPONEMENT IS DE FACTO ABOLITION OF THE SK. This strips the
youth of due representation and is a blatant violation of the Constitutional
provision which encourages youth involvement in public and civic affairs. We
can NOT deny the 30 million Filipino youth of their representation and voice at
the barangay and Sanggunian levels. It is a great disservice to the
Filipino youth if this version will prevail.
There
is also a proposal to have the SKs appointed in the meantime. This will just
subject those appointees to an intensely political and partisan process and is
therefore untenable. We are still hopeful that they Lower House will eventually
decide in favor of youth representation by approving the hold over of incumbent
SK officials. After all, the incumbents derived their electoral mandate from the
youth themselves – a veritable litmus test of meaningful youth participation.
We
recognize the challenges and criticisms hurled against the SK. For this reason,
we call on all parties concerned to address these head on by discussing and
implementing the needed reforms through the appropriate legislation.
We
express solidarity with various youth organizations and SKs as they march in
the Lower House to have their voices heard today. ###
NO
to SK abolition!
REF: USEC.
LEON G. FLORES III, CESE
NO
to de facto SK abolition!
Chairman
and CEO, NYC
YES
to SK Poll Postponement!
Mobile: 0920-9493276
YES
to Hold Over!
Email: occeo@nyc.gov.ph or info@nyc.gov.ph
YES to SK Reform!
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