Table Talk By: Mike S. Apostol The SK must be an independent body Charges and complaint that the Samahang Kabataan (SK) is used by the local government and some barangay officials for their own political purpose and interest is true. Another serious complaint are the allegations, that some SK members and officers are being taught unwittingly and unknowingly, the wrong side of governmental process by some barangay officials that directly supervises the affairs of the SK in their area of responsibility (AOR). As an example, approval of vouchers using the SK funds that are not verified or are fraudulent as in the case of official travels and reimbursement, where unauthorized and non-officer of the SK are approved without question. A barangay official should know his or her SK officers. *** Congress of the Philippines through the recommendation of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) must amend the Republic Act creating the Samahang Kabataan (SK) Law and it should be remove from the supervision of the Local Government Units to act as a “check and balance” in the local governments rather than be made as a subservient body of the LGU. The SK has a different mission and vision from the LGUs; it is created to be a training ground for the youth to prepare them as future leaders and not to be accomplices in the maladministration of the LGU. *** Presently the SK funds are used for street names, house numbering, fiesta activities, sports tournaments, fashion shows and other social trivialities approved by the Barangay Chairman who keeps the “purse” of the SK and many times the disbursements of the SK funds are tainted with anomaly and scams. By force of circumstances SK cannot do anything because they are under the mercy of the barangay officials who have the authority to approve or disapprove SK disbursements. Much more alarming if the SK President is the son and daughter of the barangay chairman because the SK operation will be a “father and child” relationship. *** The SK should be placed under a competent government department that can teach leadership and trained SK as leaders. It should have fiscal independence with public accountability so the Commission on Audit (COA) can directly monitor and investigate the SK expenditures and can file the necessary charges for any fund scam. These way public funds will not go to waste on whimsical activities and at the same time they will act as true matured leaders responsible even at their tender age. *** The welfare of out-of-school youth and homeless street children, abused children in the barangays should be given priority by the SK rather than sports development which is a permanent activity of the local government. The SK must be given the authority without the approval of the Barangay Chairmen to disburse their budget for basic social services for the welfare of the youth but this must be exercised with prudence because SK officers will be liable to the law for any offense or anomaly. The SK organization members although needs guidance from their elders but they are old enough to know what is good or bad for the community and for their organization. They should be given the independence to decide for after all the SK law aims to prepare them as sound decision makers and future leaders. *** Scoop: SK election will sure to be held together with the barangay elections in October. Voters must ensure that there will be no “dynasty” in the barangays. Voters must start it right to end right. “Si bobo el gobyerno de dynasty, mas bobo el botante porque tiene dynasty”. Agree or disagree. ***
Posted on: Wed, 03 Jul 2013 23:46:39 +0000
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