Youth urged: List up for SK polls

CEBU, Philippines - The Commission on Elections-Cebu Province has asked the youth to register for the Sangguniang Kabataan elections set on February 21 next year.

Registration resumed last Saturday and will end this Sunday, September 29 this year.

Filipinos aged 15 to 17 years old on or before February 21, 2014 may head to the local Comelec office where they reside to register for the elections.

Applicants would have to bring any document that would establish his or her identity such as certificate of live birth, baptismal certificate, or school records.

Provincial Election Officer Ferdinand Gujilde said those who already registered last July 22 to July 31 need not register again.

Comelec records show that 3,913 registered last Saturday and Sunday in the entire province. Gujilde said Comelec offices are open even this weekend to accommodate students.

July last year, there were 141,863 registrants for the SK elections. Of the number, however, 57,893 would reach 18 years old on or before the SK elections next year. This means that they have to register again for the regular elections.

The SK elections were supposedly slated October last year but were postponed through Republic Act 10632 to pave way for reforms of the current system.  The move also reset the youth council elections between October 28, 2014 and February 23, 2015.

The law, however, did not allow SK officials to retain their positions in a holdover capacity as well as the appointment of temporary SK officials.

Gujilde said the commission has scheduled the SK elections on February 21, 2015 since no legislation has been passed abolishing or reforming the system.

There have been advocacies calling for the scrapping of the SK as it just serves as “training ground for corruption” rather than for future leaders.

“Para nako, this is the perfect opportunity for the youth to show us that SK is still relevant,” Gujilde said. (FREEMAN)