Sto. Niño SK head wins federation presidency

CEBU, Philippines - A first-year Chemical Engineering student was elected president of the Cebu City Sangguniang Kabataan Federation during the SK Federation election yesterday at the Cebu Grand Hotel.

John Philip Po II, 17, of Barangay Sto. Niño won yesterday’s election after getting 65 of the 78 votes cast.

There were supposed to be 80 chairpersons but two of them, from Barangay Poblacion Pardo and Barangay Kamputhaw, were not able to attend the said election.

Po defeated Stephen Tapulado of Barangay San Roque who only got seven votes and Ivon Carl Samonte of Barangay Bulacao who only got six.

In his speech, Po said there is a need for them to prove that the youth are not useless.

He said his first priority is to unite and train all the SKF members.

Po said that they have a platform which is the Movement To an Alternative Sangguniang Kabataan (MTASK) which is to provide volunteers that will educate the SK members with regards to the current issues for them to know what to do.

The other officials elected yesterday were Orlane Quijado of Barangay Punta Princesa as vice president with 53 votes, Arriane del Rosario of Barangay Apas as the secretary, Clarence “Fi Bo” Lim of Barangay Tinago as the treasurer, Kenny Silud of Barangay Sawang Calero as auditor, Christine Ricaña of Barangay Sambag I as press relations officer and Rhomel Bonghanoy of Barangay Malubog as the sergeant-at-arms.

Outgoing SK Federation President Rengelle Pelayo said that she saw the competitiveness among the three chairpersons who were nominated as the president. She said that it was an advantage on the part of Po that he is already a college student.

Before the said election took place, some members of the media were asked to leave the venue of the election. One of the media said that a facilitator asked them to go out even if they were allowed to stay inside.

But Department of Interior and Local Government Cebu City director Patricio Gabuya said that he only instructed the facilitators to ask the members of the media to stay outside while they were setting up in the venue.

“Gi-set-up usa namo ba kay unruly pa wa pa na set-up ang seating arrangement. Pagkahuman, pag set-up na tanan klaro na amo na sila gipasud,” Gabuya said.

Gabuya said that their instruction was only to not allow anybody to enter the venue first until they finished arranging the place. He said that he did not give any instruction that the place was off-limit to the media.

Gabuya also said that conducting a three-day seminar before the election was ideal. He said that the members must first undergo the seminar to be informed of their functions and duties. The seminars have been conducted since 2002, 2007 and 2010.

During the said seminar, SK members are taught how to run sessions. They were also taught about SK budgeting and values and ethics and public accountability.

In Mandaue City, Jeric Michail Cuizon of Barangay Alang-alang was elected president, followed by Jon Elica Dabon of Maguikay as the vice president, Jake Ryan Bercede of Banilad won as the secretary, Riczen Gingoyon of Barangay Cabancalan won as the treasurer, Korina Angeli Borbajo of Barangay Cubacub won as the auditor, Goldielyn Tarriman of Barangay Tabok as PRO and Jomari Jericho Dinsay of Barangay Bakilid as sergeant-at-arms.

In Lapu-Lapu City, Nicole Bolao of Barangay Maribago won as the president and Mark Wagwag of Barangay Baring as vice president.

In Talisay City it all went down to a best-of-three coin toss decision between the two contenders.

In the end, a fourth-year high school student from Barangay Lagtang won as SK Federation president, besting the opposition’s bet.

Carmel John Burlas earlier tied with Val Joseph Ylanan, son of city Councilor Val Ylanan and Linao barangay captain Fe Ylanan, at 11-11.

It was Ylanan who first chose “heads” from a P5 coin used in the toss, while Burlas settled for “tails.”

The first toss of the coin was done by Sangguniang Panglungsod Secretary Emigdeo Enjambre and Burlas won, the Talisay City Commission on Elections officer made the second toss which also favored Burlas.

The whole process, including the election which used the secret balloting method, took less than an hour, from 8:45 a.m. to 9:40 a.m.

The opposition councilors, on the other hand, questioned why it was a closed-door function when it was an election of public officials.

“Nganung wa man sila nagpasud og mga tawo nga ganahan unta mosaksi, hasta gani ang media wa pasudla. Nga unta, di man ni siya private exercise,” said opposition councilor Romeo Villarante.

Rynner Zyrick Bonjoc of Cansojong, who ran for SK Federation vice president but was defeated by Gabrielle Marc Alan Bucao of San Isidro also over a coin toss, said there was not a single representative from their group who witnessed the reading of the ballots.

There were three SK chairmen from the administration who were allowed to be with the board of election, he said.

The opposition had 11 of the 22 SK chairmen, but none of its bets from the president down to the sergeant-at-arms made it.

Meanwhile, newly-proclaimed SKF president Burlas, who automatically becomes an ex-officio member of the city council, thanked first district Rep. Eduardo Gullas, city administrator Richel Bacaltos, budget officer Edgardo Mabunay  and “all the city officials for their help.” Gullas is president of the Alayon Party of the administration, while Bacaltos is its campaign manager.

Mabunay has also been known to be a loyal administration ally.

Burlas is a student of the Saint Scholastica Academy in Barangay Lagtang. — Mellanie C. Rosales, correspondent, and Liv G. Campo with Jose P. Sollano/BRP (FREEMAN)