Finally we realize the folly of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) project—the stated objective of preparing the youth ages 15-18 for political consciousness, social awareness and civic involvement by setting up a special electoral process for them to organize and make their voices heard. Sixteen years after the Local Government Code of 1991, traditional politics has infected, influenced and corrupted those who went through the SK process. The youth is no longer the hope of the motherland.

Someone once said that to reform the country, we need to chop off the heads of everyone more than 40 years of age to do away with old mindsets and tired attitudes and start with a clean slate. With the recent SK elections, maybe we need to include those minors? That is indeed a horrible and repulsive thought, the responsibility for which we must all bear for foisting on the next generation the temptation that is politics.

There is no doubt that we ought to prepare the youth for the task of nation building. To use a dishonored process is simply not the way. It is a terrible waste of resources, the most crucial of which is the time and optimism of the youth. They grow up disillusioned and jaded.

What is the province of the youth? It is time to explore and learn a bit more about life, to get educated in all aspects, to listen to the counsel of elders and gain experience to cope and to fulfill, to play with carefree days with an eye to a working future and, above all, to nurture identity and establish values.

How do we do this? By protecting them from wrong models and shielding them from harmful vices. We deplore our “leaders” and in the same vein push our children towards them. It takes a dedicated piece of legislation to stop and reverse this before it is too late.

On the legal side, did it ever occur to anyone that while these SK officers cannot enter into contracts and are under parental control, they are supposed to be the vanguards of their peers and access funds for projects? It is a dangerous playground.

I digress to point out that in many liberal countries, minors are not allowed to drink liquor, much less buy them. In some jurisdictions, minors cannot carry liquor publicly lest their parents be fined. The law is implemented strictly in bars open to minors. They have a separate stirrer or label to clearly differentiate the alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks under pain of penalty for the managers and owners. For everyone, alcohol drinks are no longer served one hour before closing time for people to sober up. Closing time for them is an early 2 a.m. For us in the Philippines, 2 a.m. is just the climax of parties and gimmicks. Heading home happens when the sun peeks out from the hills of Marikina. No wonder the senseless road deaths. I haven’t touched on ecstasy pills.

The youth continue to get drunk in politics and lose their moorings. Surely there have been outstanding youth leaders and there are good SK examples. By and large, the greater majority of this political experiment has been on the negative side as borne out by the literature and practical evidence. Rizal was a genius in using the metaphor of cancer for our social ills. He gave the clarion call for the youth to fight and die for the country. What vivid images of martyrdom! The youth is the hope of the motherland for the fire of idealism. Let us not tarry; we may snuff it out. Abolish the SK; let us not lose our youth.