Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla has renewed his push to abolish the Sangguniang Kabataan, citing two cases involving SK chairmen from two Makati City barangays — one involving an alleged kickback demand and another tied to signature forgery.
The incidents reinforced Remulla’s view that the youth council system has become structurally compromised. However, he said abolishing it may require constitutional changes, indicating that dismantling the body would need legislative groundwork beyond ordinary measures.
The first case centers on the SK chairwoman of Barangay Dasmariñas Village, who allegedly demanded a 20% cut from a catering service contracted for a 2025 Halloween party. The second case involves the SK chairman of Barangay Magallanes, who allegedly forged a fellow SK councilor’s signature to pass a resolution tied to a Halloween project.
Both barangays are among Makati City’s most affluent communities, a point Remulla repeatedly emphasized. The secretary maintained that corruption has reached the SK level even in the richest barangays, vowing not to single out any guilty parties whether from small or wealthy communities.
“Ang corruption ay umabot na sa SK hanggang sa pinakamayaman na mga barangay. Wala po kaming sinisino. Maliit man o mayaman na barangay,” he said. “Ang nakakainis dito, mayaman na ang mga ito, gusto pang magpayaman gamit ang pera ng gobyerno.”
Remulla emphasized that corruption appears to be ingrained from an early age under the current SK system. The official has long maintained that the SK, instead of fulfilling its mandate of youth civic engagement, has become a breeding ground for patronage practices.
