Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has warned newly elected Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials to refrain from appointing relatives as SK secretaries and treasurers. “These appointments will mirror the SK officials’ credibility and shall be a precedent to their leadership. Thus their work shall start properly. There should be no kamag-anak system (nepotism) in appointing the SK secretary and treasurer,” Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said in a statement on Tuesday. Under DILG Memorandum Circular 2023-167, the appointed SK secretary and treasurer must not be within the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to any incumbent elected national, regional, provincial, city, municipal or barangay official in the locality where he seeks to be appointed. “Aside from undergoing the SK mandatory training, one of the first responsibilities of newly elected SK officials is to appoint their SK secretary and treasurer,” Abalos said.