MANILA, Philippines—In a bid to insulate the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) from political dynasties, a bill introduced in the Senate seeks to bar relatives of incumbent government officials from running for a position in the youth council.
Senate Bill 2401 specifies that an officer of SK must not be related to any incumbent elected national, local or barangay official within the fourth degree of consanguinity.
“This preventive clause is placed to minimize the clout of politicians already in power,’’ said Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, principal author and sponsor of the measure.
The senator, who belongs to a political dynasty established by his father, deposed President Joseph Estrada, said it was about time politicians stopped asking their children to seek SK positions to give way to new, bright and promising young leaders.
Sen. JV Ejercito. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
“As a former youth leader, I have long witnessed this conflict of interest and the hardship that youth leaders themselves endure just to please their political clans. I also believe that the proliferation of political dynasties in the SK is a disservice to the Filipino youth and does not fulfill the mandate of the Constitution for youth empowerment,’’ he said.
Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., chair of the local government committee, reported out the committee report on the bill last week.
To reform the youth council, SB 2401, or the proposed Youth Development and Empowerment Act of 2014, adjusts the age bracket of SK officers to 18-24.
It also raises the age range of the Katipunan ng Kabataan, or the youth federation that elects the SK chair and members, from the current 15-17 to 15-24.
The goal was to address the concerns that SK officers were below the age of majority, making them ineligible to sign contracts, Marcos said.
“This legal impediment has practically exposed our young leaders to pressure and interference from some unscrupulous barangay officials in the implementation of their programs and projects,’’ he said.
If the SK officers were of legal age, then they were ready for “full accountability,’’ he said.
SK, a training ground for youths aspiring to become future political leaders, has been hounded by allegations of corruption and politicking.
Amid calls for its abolition, lawmakers passed a law postponing the scheduled synchronized SK and barangay elections on Oct. 28, 2013 to a date between Oct. 28, 2014 and Feb. 15, 2015 to be determined by the Commission on Elections.
Marcos acknowledged observations that SK officers had become so politicized and “susceptible to dishonest practices’’ in handling public funds, triggering calls for reforms and its abolition.
“I am one with a view that the current structure of the SK has failed to serve the envisioned purposes for our youth,’’ he said.
But Marcos said the committee believed that abolition should not be an option, saying it was the system of youth participation that “clearly needs to be reformed.’’
Ejercito said adjusting the age bracket would cover young leaders who have attained the age of majority.
“Youth leaders who can enter into contracts, agreements and make mature decisions on their own, much more in taking responsibilities for governance, participation in community activities and in nation building,’’ he said.
To ensure SK fiscal autonomy, SB 2401 also proposes that the Sangguniang Barangay appropriate the SK funds in lump sum solely for youth development and empowerment, and to be deposited in a government-owned bank.
The funds will be allocated in the annual budget.
The bill maintains the structure of the organization, according to Marcos.
The SK at the barangay level will retain a chair and seven members, with the chair serving as an ex-officio member of the barangay council.
But in the municipal, city and provincial levels, the federated SK president will no longer automatically serve as ex-officio member of the local council.
Instead, the measure proposes the creation of a local youth development council in every town, city and province, Marcos said.
This council will be composed of not more than two official representatives from the SK, student councils in secondary schools, student councils in tertiary schools, working youth, young entrepreneurs and young professional organizations, youth with specific needs organizations, faith-based youth organizations, or ideology-based youth organizations, aged 15 to 24.
The presidents of the youth development councils will serve as ex-officio members of their respective local council, Marcos said.
“This proposed set-up will ensure wide and multi-sectoral youth participation in local governance,’’ he said.
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