DAVAO City Councilor Arnulfo Cabling announced that five Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairpersons are facing complaints related to the misuse of funds. Cabling, who chairs the Committee on Ethics and Good Governance, noted that the number of complaints is expected to rise, as initially, his office had received no reports against SK members.
Cabling's Warning to SK Officials
“We have to teach them right because the SK members think they are just playing. So I think it is high time we teach them right, and we really have to impose sanctions,” Cabling said during the Pulong Pulong sa Dabawenyos on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
When asked about the specific barangays involved, Cabling revealed that most of the accused SK chairpersons are from the third district. He added that among the five, one has already resigned. However, Cabling emphasized that the committee will continue to accept evidence since the cases are administrative in nature. “We will go after them, even those who resigned, to ensure that sanctions, penalties, and disqualification from holding any public office in the future are imposed,” he stated.
Possible Criminal Charges
Cabling explained that if there is any misallowance, the concerned individual should approach the Commission on Audit (COA). If an anomaly is found, the government will compel the chairperson to pay after liquidation. Failure to do so could lead to criminal cases. “We drive our message clear that we are not playing; you are supposed to do projects for the youth, right,” he said.
Reaction to Proposed SK Abolition
On the proposed abolition of the SK by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Cabling expressed agreement with the secretary’s sentiments following cases of two SK chairpersons in Makati involved in anomalous spending of barangay funds. However, Cabling stressed that there are still SK members who are performing well. “The training of these well-performing SKs would be put to waste if the SK were abolished,” he said.
Cabling suggested that instead of abolition, measures should be implemented to further improve the SK and teach the youth to become good public servants. He lamented that some members have already been corrupted. Earlier, Remulla reiterated his call for the abolition of the SK, recommending an amendment to the 1987 Constitution regarding the barangay youth council. He argued that it would be more practical to designate individuals to oversee youth affairs rather than holding elections.
