Poll official sees lesser vote-buying in SK polls

Cebu City’s high school students register for the Sangguniang Kabataan elections in this September 2014 photo. (CDN FILE)

WITH more people voting in the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections this October, there would be lesser chances for vote buying.

Lawyer Lionel Castillano, Cebu Provincial Election supervisor, said this citing more money would be needed with more people voting since the SK Reform Law would be implemented, which would allow voters from 15 years of age to 30 years of age to vote for the SK officials.

Castillano said the SK Reform Law would prove to be the catalyst in stopping vote buying.

During the previous SK elections, Castillano claimed that the SK voters received more money compared to the barangay election voters.

He said this was because there were lesser voters then.

“This needs to stop. Sometimes, the barangay captain will let his child to run under the Sangguniang Kabataan,” he said.

The National Youth Commission (NYC) announced Tuesday that the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the Reform Act of 2015 have been approved.

The IRR for the SK Reform Act includes the anti-dynasty provision which states that the SK chairperson, should not be related within the 2nd civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to any incumbent elected national official or to any incumbent elected official; responsible financial independence of the SK council; creation of Local Youth Development Councils; and mandatory training program for SK officials before he or she can assume office and continuing training programs during incumbency.

Castillano also said that voters who are 15 to 17 years old would be the only ones that would need to register since Comelec already have he records of the other voters because of the recently concluded elections last May.

SK voters aged 18 and up can now also vote for the barangay elections.

“Mahulog na nga ika duha ka mo-vote pero depende na niya if mo-vote ba siya or dili. But hopefully ang tanan mo-vote.” Castillano said.

On the other hand, only SK members aged 18 to 24 can run for office.

Those aged 15 to 17 years old are advised to register for the SK elections at their respective Comelec offices while those 18 years old and above will have to register at their barangay halls.

The registration will run for 15 days and will end on July 30.

Also, Comelec will be opening more opening and acquiring more Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) to accommodate the additional SK voters.

“We are expecting more voters because of the new age requirement,” he said.

He said the Election Day will be the last Monday of October which is on October 31. The last SK elections was held last October 2015.

Registration for the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSK) elections starts on Friday, July 15./UP Cebu Intern Maurice Jitty M. Villaester