THE National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) yesterday urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to ensure the strict compliance with the ban on political dynasties of aspiring youth politicians who will file their certificates of candidacy for the October 30 Barangay and SK Elections (BSKE).
NAPC youth sector representative Ninian Simadia, during a public briefing, reminded aspiring SK candidates that those who have relatives who are incumbent elected officials are prohibited from running in the youth polls, as prescribed under Republic Act No. 10742, or “An Act Establishing Reforms in the Sangguniang Kabataan Creating Enabling Mechanisms for Meaningful Youth Participation in Nation-Building, and for Other Purposes.”
RA 10742 was signed into law in January 2016 during the Aquino administration.
Simadia said the NAPC will be closely monitoring the upcoming BSKE and the implementation of the political dynasty ban under Section 10 of RA 10742, which listed the qualification of youth candidates, among them that they should be between 18 to 24 years old on the day of the election, and must not be related to any incumbent elected official.
“Ngayong SK elections, binabantayan po namin na iyong mga reporma sa SK ay dapat ay fully implemented. Kaya nabanggit ko po kanina na iyong anti-political dynasty ay nariyan. Ito po ay napakahalaga at iyong anti-dynasty ay sinimulan po natin sa mga kabataan. Ito po iyong napakahalagang milestone (This SK elections, we will be monitoring the implementation of the SK reforms which should be fully implemented. I mentioned the anti-political dynasty provision there. This is important, the anti-dynasty should start with the youth. This is an important milestone),” she said.
Section of RA 10742 states that an SK candidate “must not be related within the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to any incumbent elected national official or to any incumbent elected regional, provincial, city, municipal, or barangay official, in the locality where he or she seeks to be elected and must not have been convicted by final judgment of any crime involving moral turpitude.”
Simadia said while they encourage the young to participate in the SK elections, they are also asking the youth to ensure that the law is implemented properly.
She said another important reform is the age requirement for candidates which is between 18 to 24, which means that should the elected SK officials get involved in irregularities, especially corruption, they can already be tried in court as adults.
The BSKE is set for October 30, 2023 while the filing of candidacy has been set for August 28 to September 2.
Simadia said it is important for the youth to get involved as they may have fresh and innovative ideas to contribute to governance and the country.
