Cardema as NYC chairman ‘a waste of taxpayers’ money,’ youth group claims

A youth group on Tuesday denounced the appointment of Ronald Cardema, leader of the Duterte Youth Movement, as chairman the National Youth Commission (NYC) and claimed that the move was a waste of public funds.

“With the Duterte Youth leader at the helm of the NYC, Spark views his appointment as a waste of taxpayers’ money and must be immediately confronted with protests,” youth group Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (Spark) said.

In a statement on Tuesday after Malacañang announced Cardema’s appointment, Spark alleged that the new NYC chairman does not reflect the interests of the Filipino youth.

“Self-serving, political appointments continue to hinder genuine youth representation and participation in the Duterte administration,” Spark said.

“The Duterte Youth organization and its leader Ronald Gian Cardema does not in anyway reflect the interests and welfare of the Filipino youth,” the group claimed.

Cardema became NYC’s officer-in-charge after former chairperson and singer-songwriter Ice Seguerra resigned in March.

Cardema was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as early as August 23 but his papers were only released to the media on Tuesday.

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With Cardema heading NYC, the group alleged that more problems will be created than solved, such as the reinstatement of a mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC).

“Spark condemns political patronage as a tool to weaken institutions such as the NYC in advancing the democratic and sectoral interests of the youth and reinforce the Duterte administration’s corrupted idea of youth empowerment,” Spark noted.

“We fear that Cardema’s appointment shall lead to more arbitrary arrests and detention, the rise of drop-out due to inaccessible education, restoration of compulsory ROTC, and censure of student councils and campus publications,” the group said.  /vvp