Chiz thumbs down SK abolition

Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero on Wednesday opposed a proposal to abolish the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), saying that the youth should be given a chance at governance. "Tutol ako doon, kung may kulang, punuan natin, kung may baluktot, diretsuhin natin, kung may dapat gawin, gawin natin. Pero huway naman abolish agad," Escudero said in an interview. (I oppose that. If there are shortcomings, let us make up for it. If there are things that should be straightened up, let's straighten them up. If there are things that have to be done, let's do it. But let us not abolish it right away.) The senator, who has always enjoyed great support from the youth sector, issued the statement after Senator Edgardo Angara said that he wants the SK system abolished because it has supposedly "outlived" its usefulness. Escudero, however, said that the SK is not the only governing system that is having problems. "Bakit pa pag bata ang pinag-uusapan abolish agad ang gustong gawin ng ilan? Marami rin namang palpak na barangay, marami rin namang palpak na munisipyo, minsan palpak din naman ang Kongreso," he said. (Why is it that when we talk about the youth, they want to abolish things right away? Officials in the barangay, municipality, and even Congress have the same problems as SK.) During the Senate hearings on the proposed postponement of the barangay and SK polls, Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., head of the local government committee, and Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri also opposed the scrapping of the SK system. President Benigno Aquino III had earlier said he wants the SK — composed of one chairman and seven councilors — to be restructured to have just one representative. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said that Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo has drafted a bill calling for such setup. - Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMANews.TV