With the Sangguniang Panlalawigan as another battleground, Jane Censoria Cajes, national federated president of the Sangguiang Kabataan, used the legislative body as a platform to launch her attacks against her detractors. Earlier, the ranking SK official was at the receiving end of an anti-graft case pending before the office of the Ombudsman-Manila filed by erstwhile friends lifestyle writers Ferdinand Manuel de Erio and Leo Odtuhan. Capitalizing on his SP membership as an ex-officio official, Cajes poured her ranting in a stinging privilege speech last Friday's session, questioning the credibility of the complainants on the case they filed against her. Although she did not name names, it was apparent that Cajes referred to De Erio and Udtohan.

Apparently Cajes is infuriated and stung by published news articles in past weeks that allegedly malign her person. “Various fabricated orchestrated and libelous accusations have been hurled against me not only as SK national federation president but also against my personal life not necessarily related to my office,” she said in earlier statement. The published articles on the SK fund mess have earned the complainants and the Post publisher, a libel complaint.  Complainants De Erio and Udtohan, this time together with Edeliza Macalandag of Akbayan party-list and Shem C. Quezon, sent a formal letter dated November 5, 2010, urging the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to conduct an impartial investigation on Cajes' alleged unaccounted funds totaling to P93.6 million of SK funds. “This letter would help the SKPF achieve an orderly transition for the next SKPF. As youth arm of the government, it is essential that the SK must embody honetly and integrity,” said the letter.

The four (De Erio, Udtohan, Macalandag and Quezon) alleged that a certain Derom Dabalos is a volunteer nurse assigned at Loon district  Hospital, a provincial run hospital, but hired as Job Order employee, hence is paid by the provincial funds. It is but “unfair to the thousands of volunteer nurses who are serving in hospitals without salary or wages,” the four lamented. They also urged the SP to investigate “if the transactions made by SKPF that amount over P50,000 have undergone bidding” as provided for RA 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act. The accusers also wanted the SP “should cause for the intervention of the Commission on Audit to audit the collections that may include registration fees, donations, annual fees collection and the expenditures of the SKPF for past three years.”

As this developed, the SP's action in referring the letter for investigation of SK funds to the good government committee, and not to public accountability committee, was questioned. The letter seeking for SP intervention was to Vice-Gov. Concepcion Lim through Board Member Gerardo Garcia, chair of the public accountability committee. But the board referred the same to the good government committee chaired by BM Benjie Arcamo. Good government committee can conduct investigation (in aid of legislation) involving elective officials under its jurisdiction while public accountability committee cover those cases whose complainants and respondents are provincial employees and other sectors. (RVO)