Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. on Wednesday reminded youth officials to serve as examples of good governance.
The DILG chief’s statement was released after the nationwide mandatory training for newly-elected Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials nears full completion.
Abalos said the lessons learned by SK officials during the training must inspire them to lead toward good governance and contribute to societal development as the next leaders of the country.
The SK mandatory training, pursuant to Section 28 of Republic Act 11768 or the SK Reform Act of 2015, serves as a comprehensive knowledge and skills orientation for newly elected youth officials which is jointly administered by the DILG and the National Youth Commission (NYC).
The training encompasses five key sessions covering topics such as Decentralization and Local Governance, SK History and Salient Features, Meetings and Resolutions, Planning and Budgeting, and Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards.
Abalos on Tuesday also vowed justice for Althea Vivien Mendoza, a third-year medical technology student, who was assaulted and shot by her classmate at the parking lot of Saint Paul University-Tuguegarao City in Cagayan province last Nov. 13.
The DILG chief said he was appalled by the viral video which showed that Mendoza was shot and beaten by another student inside the school campus. The assaulted student is currently recovering from her injuries.
Abalos also said he would talk to school administrators to find out how they can better ensure the safety of students inside their campuses and come up with better ways to detect “troubled or disturbed individuals so that they can intervene sooner.”
“Let us suppress violence against women and youth for the sake of a more humane and just society,” he stressed.
Mendoza suffered a serious head injury and a gunshot wound in the jaw after the suspect, Kristian Rafael Ramos, 20, hit her several times in the head and shot her with a .45 caliber pistol.
Mendoza and Ramos are both Medical Technology students at St. Paul University of the Philippines in Tuguegarao City and residents of Isabela province.
Ramos was charged with frustrated murder and violation of the Omnibus Election Code. However, he was released on Nov. 15 after posting bail
worth P236,000 for his temporary liberty.