The Sangguniang Kabataan and barangay kagawad system would be abolished if House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez would have his way.
Speaking in an interview in Tunga, Leyte Saturday, Alvarez claimed that members of the youth council and village council hardly do any work and thus should be done away with.
“Kasi ‘yung SK, pagka pumili ka ng SK, kung pilitin mo ‘yan na magtrabaho bilang SK, hindi ‘yan papasok sa eskwelahan. At kung pilitin mo ‘yan na pumasok sa eskwelahan, hindi rin ‘yan magtatrabaho bilang SK. So sumusweldo ‘yan na wala namang ginagawa,” he said.
Alvarez said that the youth sector is represented in Congress. “Mabuti pa tanggalin na lang ‘yan, tutal repesented naman lahat ng sectors. O meron ngang party list na sa youth sector, so well-represented ‘yan.”
The youth sector is represented in Congress by Kabataan party-list, whose nominee, Rep. Sarah Elago, is a member of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan-led super majority in the House of Representatives. Alvarez is secretly-general of PDP-Laban.
“Meron din kaming tinitignan na ia-abolish na natin yung barangay kagawads, ano. Dahil sa totoo lang hindi naman talaga nagtatrabaho ito e. Ang nagtatrabaho yung barangay captains,” he said during the same interview.
While he acknowledged that his statement might anger barangay kagawads all over the country, the House Speaker noted a pressing need to “put things in order in the country.”
“Kailangan nating baguhin,” Alvarez said. “Ang proposal ko diyan, imbes na barangay kagawads, ‘yung purok leaders.
Yun ang dapat: Barangay captains, purok leaders, piliin. Kasi sa totoo lang sa isang barangay ang nagtatrabaho talaga ‘yung mga purok leaders. So bakit hindi natin i-institutionalize yung existence ng purok leaders?” he said.
(Ellson A. Quismorio)