Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday urged the public to support the new generation of Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) leaders rather than seek the removal of the youth leadership council from local governance.
The senator made the call in an interview with reporters right after casting his vote for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in his home city of Taguig.
“Madalas nating sabihin na i-abolish na natin iyang SK dahil naging breeding ground of corruption. Eh sino ba ang nagtuturo sa kanila ng corruption? Hindi ba y’ung matatanda din? Bakit y’ung bata ang i-abolish? Baligtad!” Cayetano, who started his political career as a young man, said.
“Ituloy natin ang SK, pero tulungan, tutukan, at suportahan natin sila. ‘Wag natin sila iwanan. Give advice to them, at pag-pray natin sila,” he said.
Cayetano said former SK leaders should also encourage and help their successors navigate the world of governance so they don’t get corrupted in the process.
“Ito ang social media generation kaya iba rin ang takbo nila. I’m excited for them, but I always want to make sure there is accountability,” he said.
Cayetano said while mentoring the SK leaders is not everyone’s job, it is “the concern of all of us.”
“Kung sino man sa atin ang may gift o talent na magmentor sa mga bata, tulungan natin itong bagong generation natin… Kung ano ang ating itanim this year, aanihin natin 20 years from now,” he said.
In an earlier Facebook Live post before casting his vote, Cayetano pointed out that every decision has its consequences, including the decision to vote or not to vote in the BSKE polls.
“[Kung] sino man ang iboboto natin [na] kagawad o kapitan, kapag may disputes sa magkaka-barangay, sila ang mediator at reconciliator,” he said.
The senator also asserted that the barangay is the most important institution in our society because it serves as a family to communities.
“Ang pinaka-importanteng institusyon sa ating bansa ay ang pamilya kasi diyan [tayo] nagsisimula. Ang level naman ng pamilya sa ating community ay y’ung barangay,” he said.
