Valenzuela City Representative Magtanggol Gunigundo has filed a bill to raise the age requirement for members of the Sangguniang Kabataan, revoke their membership in local legislative bodies, and clip their funding.
Gunigundo said the Sangguniang Kabataan should comprise young adults, and not minors who cannot be held accountable for money released to them. “Under our existing laws, minors who are below 18 years old cannot enter into agreements, sign contracts, enter into marriage, obtain driver’s licenses, nor be prosecuted for criminal offenses. They have not reached the age of majority or emancipation,” he said.
He said the law should be amended to allow only youth aged 18 to 21 to run for the Sangguniang Kabataan.
He added having SK officials sit at town, city, and provincial councils only makes them susceptible to partisan politics. He said local politicians will agree to finance an SK candidate’s campaign in exchange for support at the council. “Removing the ‘ex-officio’ position of SK in the local government legislative bodies will insulate the SK from the negative influence of unscrupulous politicians,” he said.
The SK gets 10 percent of the Internal Revenue Allotment, or share of the national tax revenue, for each barangay but Gunigundo said money meant for the youth councils should instead be used on education and health.
Gunigundo said that under the current system, “P6 billion will be spent to fund various sports-related activities and conferences of the SK nationwide” in 2013.
—
Photo: A basketball hoop, a common Sangguniang Kabataan project, in Iloilo. /Iloilo Wanderer
