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The
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is closely
watching Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairmen provincewide as
they vote for their federated presidents tomorrow amid reports
of kidnapping and vote-buying.
DILG
provincial director Rustica Mascarinas said in an interview
with the Chronicle yesterday that she has issued an order
to all municipal local government operation officers (MLGOOs)
to ensure that SK chairmen will not be herded by local politicians
who have vested interests in the federated polls.
Some
1,109 SK chairmen will elect 48 federated presidents in the
towns and the city tomorrow.
According
to Mascarinas, although the DILG is tasked to implement the
federated SK and Liga ng mga Barangay elections, it has limited
control over some politicians who exercise influence over
the youth leaders.
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This
as the elected federated president will serve as an
ex officio member of their Sangguniang Bayan or Sangguniang
Panlungsod.
Mascarinas
said she is closely coordinating with MLGOOs to ensure
that the conduct of tomorrow's elections will not be
marred by kidnapping and vote buying.
In
fact, SK chairmen who will not be able to attend a scheduled
seminar set by the DILG on the eve of election day will
be disenfranchised to vote during the SK federated elections,
Mascariñas said.
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This
is done to deter attempts by politicians to herd their barangay
youth leaders.
In
a separate interview, Commissioner Benjie Oliva of the National
Youth Commission admitted to the Chronicle SK members are
being used for political motives by some local chief executives.
He
said the NYC proposed to the DILG long before the SK federated
elections were scheduled that a 4-day training be conducted
with all SK chairmen in each municipality immediately prior
to the election day.
The
training is called ISKOLAR (Integrated Sangguniang Kabataan
Organizational Leadership and Re-orientation), Oliva said.
This
4-day training is also intended to isolate the SK leaders
from being influenced by offers of money from politicians.
In
fact, in Maribojoc town, SK chairmen were brought to a training
which will end on the eve of election day.
However,
this is not being followed in the other towns.
Oliva
said there is a need to temporarily abolish the SK and replace
it with other means that the youth will be represented in
governance.
KIDNAPPING,
VOTE-BUYING
An
SK chairman in barangay West Poblacion, Albur town called
up dyRD's Inyong Alagad yesterday to report that many of his
fellow youth leaders were told that they would be brought
to a resort in Panglao where a training will be held today,
the eve of the elections.
When
verified, SK Chair Vee Jay Taer said the training will be
charged to their respective barangay funds, he said, and is
being allegedly organized by the MLGOO of Albur.
Reports
reaching the Chronicle revealed that SK chairmen in several
towns are likewise being "housed" in resorts.
CITY
BATTLE
Here
in Tagbilaran City, reports bared that SK chairmen are also
being brought to meetings with political leaders.
An
SK chair told the Chronicle that she was offered a brand new
motorcycle in exchange for her vote by one of the federated
president aspirants.
Aspiring
for the SK federated chair are Michael Kapirig, son of city
Kag. Edgar Kapirig and Manuel Alberto Yap Dela Serna, son
of three-term Poblacion-2 barangay captain Glorivic Yap Dela
Serna who is also vying for the Liga ng mga Barangay presidency
against Taloto barangay captain Faro Cabalit.
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