• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Troopers of the elite Philippine National Police Special Action Force were deployed yesterday within the vicinity of the municipal hall of Isabela in Negros Occidental during the conduct of the “hotly contested” Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation election.
Allysa Terese Celo was elected municipal SK Federation president.
Teodora Sumagaysay, provincial director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, yesterday said she sent her deputy, Ruth Leda Alagban, to supervise the conduct election held at the town Sangguniang Bayan session hall.
Fifth District Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo administered the oathtaking of 17 newly-elected SK barangay chairpersons of Isabela, after they failed to secure copies of their oath of office and certificate of mandatory training on Nov. 13, which form part of their requirements to participate in the election.
Yulo said he will relay the issues and concerns raised by SK chairpersons to the DILG provincial and regional offices for appropriate action.
Sumagaysay said that upon checking with the Local Youth Development Office, she was told that some SK chairpersons were not able to get their certificates as they went home early on Nov. 13.
It was distributed to them before the conduct of elections, she added.
During the validation of issues and concerns being raised in Isabela, Sumagaysay said there was nothing “unusual” that took place, and all activities were within the guidelines set by the DILG and National Youth Commission (NYC).
Still, to ensure that the conduct of SK elections will be smooth, orderly and peaceful, Sumagaysay said she deployed three DILG cluster heads, who are her deputies, not only Isabela, but in other LGUs of the province, which she said is being normally done by the DILG.
“It is better for us to be proactive, rather than act if there are already problems. We don’t want that to happen in any local government unit of Negros Occidental,” she added.
Sumagaysay dismissed the issues and concerns raised in Isabela in connection with the SK Federation election as plain and simple misunderstanding.
“Let’s try to cooperate and stick to the guidelines being set both by DILG and NYC. At the end of the day, it is their battle, and not of politicians. They should not allow themselves to be used by politicians,” she added. | GB
