A news report has revealed that some municipal chairpersons of the Sangguniang Kabataan are resigning to pave the way for a new SK chairperson under a “term-sharing agreement.”
The six-month “term-sharing” scheme of SK chairmen is allegedly being practiced in Dauin and Zamboanguita towns. These towns are in the Third District but the news item did not say whether this is also a practice among SK chairmen in other districts of the Province.
The SK Federation Chairman of Negros Oriental, Scott Wayne Husain of La Libertad town, wants to put a stop to this practice. In a meeting held in Bayawan City last week, Husain refused to accept the resignation of Jerick Delena of Dauin to give way to another SK Chairman to sit as ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Bayan of that town.
Incidentally, Delena was not the duly-elected SK chairman of Dauin. It was Rode Gaiana, who resigned after six months to give way to Delena. Now, Delena wants to resign to give way to another SK subordinate.
The news story also said that the SK Chair of Zamboanguita, Claire Ann Elnar, was also resigned to give way to another SK chairman as part of the term-sharing scheme.
Where in the world can you find duly elected public officials who make a mockery of their public offices by playing musical chairs? As they say, this happens “onli in da Pilipins.” If their excuses for resigning are true, i.e., that they feel unable fully represent the entire youth of their town” because of their studies, why did they run for public office in the first place?
Yes, Rizal wrote that the youth is the hope of the fatherland. But ridiculous examples such as these only serve to give us a gloomy outlook into our future.
At such an early age, our SK chairmen have already learned to desecrate the public trust. God help them if they ever get elected to a higher office in the future. This bolsters the growing cry of Filipinos for the abolition of the SK.