Leni opposes proposed SK abolition

Believing that abolition of the Sanggunian ng Kabataan (SK) is akin to silencing the voice of the youth, Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo reiterated her opposition to proposed abolition of the youth council.

Meantime, Congress is eyeing to transmit the bill on the one-year postponement of the barangay and SK elections to President Duterte this week after the House of Representatives agreed to adopt the Senate version of the measure, which is expected to be passed on third and final reading on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

Youth voice In an ambush interview after the Inauguration of the Naga River Revetment Project at the Magsaysay Avenue Wharf in Naga City last week, Robredo voiced out her opposition to abolish the SK or country’s youth council at the barangay level.

“I am not in favor to abolish the SK,” she said in Filipino.

“This is one of the reasons why I am one of the authors of the SK Reform Bill,” she added.

Robredo maintained that despite the controversies that hound the SK, the youth have so much more to benefit from it.

“We can see the value of giving the youth a change to become involved in governance and the SK Reform Bill that we filed was a means to address the shortcomings of SK,” she added.

Before the end of his term, then President Benigno Aquino III signed the SK Reform Act last January.

Earlier, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez called for the abolition to the SK as well as the village council ahead of the barangay elections scheduled on October 31.

Robredo said that there are still ways to address the issues with the SK without abolishing it.

“Kung abolisyon, parang inaalisan mo ng boses ang mga kabataan,” she ended.

Off to Malacañang Dennis Legaspi, Communications Director of Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara who is chairman of the Local Government Committee, said after the third and final reading passage of the bill on Tuesday, it will be immediately forwarded to the President’s desk for signature.

“Since the House has adopted the full Senate version of the bill, there will no longer be a bicameral conference. After the third reading approval on Tuesday, the measure will be up for bill enrollment in both chambers, after which, it will be transmitted to Malacanang for the President’s signature,” he said.