Año sees barangay, SK polls as litmus test of antidynasty law
FILE PHOTO – DILG officer-in-charge Gen. Eduardo Año. Photo by Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) maintained on Thursday that proceeding with the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections would enable real change to set in.
In a statement on Thursday DILG officer-in-charge Eduardo Año welcomed the assurance of Senate president Aquilino Pimentel III that the May 14 polls will push through as it would give a new set of SK officers the opportunity to fully implement Republic Act 1041 or the SK Reform Act.
The SK Reform Act, he pointed out, has an anti-dynasty provision which is a first in the country’s history. It provides that an SK candidate “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.”
The law also raises the age requirement for SK officials at 18 to 24 years old, making them eligible to legally enter into contracts as well as liable for the commission of a crime.
According to Año, “There is so much potential for genuine change with the anticipated implementation of the 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.”
He added, “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.”
For his part DILG spokesperson Jonathan Malaya reminded voters to make the ballots they cast count by electing only “matino, mahusay, and maaasahan (decent, excellent, and reliable) barangay officials.
He pointed out that the same qualities must also be in the SK officials that the youth vote for.
The filing of certificate of candidacy for the Barangay and SK elections is scheduled on April 14 to 20.
