The Baguio City Council has approved an ordinance prescribing the procedure for the filing and disposition of complaints against Sangguniang Kabataan elective and appointive officials in the city.
Under the guidelines, all administrative complaints against an SK official shall be filed with the SK Federation. After evaluating the complaint, the SK Federation Office shall then forward the same to the Sangguniang Panlungsod ng Baguio. The complaint shall be treated as a regular administrative case. The proper Sangguniang Panlungsod committee shall conduct the procedure of notice and hearing and shall issue a resolution stating its ruling and prescribing the sanctions of the erring SK official.
The ordinance states that the resolution of administrative cases involving an SK official is the role of the Sangguniang Panlungsod pursuant to Department of the Interior and Local Government Opinion 13, s. 2022.
According to the guidelines, an SK official who has committed any “misfeasance, malfeasance, or nonfeasance” during their term shall either be suspended or removed from their office, provided that due process has been accorded to the erring SK official.
An erring SK official, after due process, shall be suspended for not more than six months or removed from office by the majority vote of the members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod on any of the following grounds:
Absence from the SK regular meeting without valid cause for two consecutive times or four accumulated absences within a period of 12 months; failure to convene the SK regular assembly for two consecutive times; failure to convene the regular SK meetings for three consecutive months in the case of the SK chairperson; and failure to formulate the Comprehensive Barangay Youth Development Plan and Annual barangay Youth Investment Program or failure to approve the annual budget within the prescribed period of time without a justifiable reason.
Other grounds include failure to implement programs and projects outlined in the Annual Barangay Youth Investment Program without a justifiable reason; failure to attend the regular sangguniang barangay session four consecutive times without a valid cause in the case of the SK chairperson; conviction by final judgment of a crime involving moral turpitude; violation of existing rules against graft and corruption and other civil services laws, rules, and regulations; and failure in the discharge of their duty or has committed abuse of authority.
The privileges accorded to an erring SK official as provided in Section 16 or Republic Act 10742 shall likewise be suspended during the period of suspension from office. In case of dismissal from office, all benefits and privileges accorded to them shall be removed. – Jordan G. Habbiling
