SK calls for new voters’ registration

The Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) National Federation recently asked Congress to pass a law authorizing the COMELEC to schedule SK registration anew from April 8 to 14.

SK National Federation President and NYC Commissioner Richard Alvin M. Nalupta said that only 1.5 million out of the estimated 10 million 15-21-year-olds were able to register. He cited reports that some barangays even had zero registrants. He pointed out that failure of elections is inevitable in these areas.

Speaking before a joint committee hearing of the House committees on local government and suffrage, Nalupta stressed the importance of the youth’s right to vote. "The registration is very crucial because the registered youths do not only comprise the SK electorate, but it (the registration) is also the basis of membership in the Katipunan ng mga Kabataan which is the backbone organization of the SK."

Nalupta, who sits as Commissioner of the National Youth Commission (NYC) cited as probable causes of the low turn-out of registrants the lack of information dissemination, insufficient supply of application forms and the ‘inconvenience’ of the registration process that required registrants to proceed to the COMELEC offices which are mostly inaccessible to residents of far-flung barangays. In the past, registration is done in the barangay level.