Iloilo City Councilor Rex Marcus Sarabia has disagreed with Senator Robin Padilla’s recent statement describing today’s youth as “weak.”
“The youth are not weak. We are just disadvantaged by a system designed for us to fail,” Sarabia, who is a lawyer by profession, said in a statement.
“Our true strength is the determination to succeed despite the odds against us,” the councilor stressed.
Padilla made the statement during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media on the Children’s Safety in Social Media Act on Feb. 11.
“Ang mga bata po ngayon, sad to say, huwag kayong magagalit sakin, nako maraming batang magagalit siguro pero pasensya na kayo, you are weak,” the actor-turned-politician said.
“Hindi kayo katulad nung panahon namin na hindi kami iyakin. Natuto kami, natuto kami sa kalsada, natuto kami na huwag umupo, umiyak,” Padilla added.
According to Sarabia, the neophyte senator “might have honestly failed to understand how difficult it is for the youth of today compared to previous generations.”
The councilor enumerated several challenges being faced by the current generation, including the accelerating inflation, low pay, expensive education, and the soaring taxes.
“With all that, how can you not be depressed? So I beg to disagree with Robin,” Sarabia said.
“So instead of mocking us, why don’t you use your power and privilege to help us, because if you do, we will show you how strong we are,” he added.
In a Facebook post, Padilla explained that his statement was supported by studies and records.
“As the chairman of the Committee on Public Information and Mass Media, it is my mandate to be truthful to the people and not be plastic or pretentious in what I say, because that is the truth,” he said.
“It’s the suicide data we studied in our office that show today’s youth are weak; it is not merely the result of our suggestion or opinion,” the senator added.IMT
