April 11, 2016, 12:42a.m. – SAYING “No one is perfect,” a candidate for president of the Central Student Council (CSC) has defended himself against a social media tirade by a former council president.
Roi Sergio Rey, the incumbent CSC treasurer, said everyone was entitled to their opinions, and that he would take note of the criticism to improve himself.
“Nagkamali man ako, sino ba’ng hindi? Pero alam kong kahit kailan ay hindi magiging pagkakamali ang kagustuhan kong maayos at mapabuti ang student body ng UST,” Rey said in a text message. “Kilala ko po ang sarili ko at alam kong buo ang pagmamahal ko sa UST. [I]tutuon ko na lamang po ang utak ko sa paggawa ng aking mga responsibilidad.”
In a lengthy Facebook post on Monday, Leandro Alverio Santos II, a Civil Law student and the CSC president in Academic Year 2010-2011, said Rey did not have the qualifications to be president because of his dismal performance as treasurer. Rey was unable to submit financial statements or liquidation reports, and was absent in executive board meetings, Santos claimed.
“As of the moment no financial document has yet to be cleared by the Office of the Vice Rector for Finance coming from the CSC. Now the other officers are doing their own expense reports for their respective projects—responsibility that you should have done yourself but failed to do so,” the Facebook post read.
Santos also bared that at one time, the Office of Student Affairs ordered a lockdown of the CSC office because council staff members and Rey were caught playing card games, which is prohibited by the UST Code of Conduct and Discipline.
Rey earlier told the Varsitarian he was able to accomplish two out of the three campaign pledges in his three-point agenda: “Diamonds,” a seminar on accountability and financial transparency, and his transparency report, to be released by the end of his term. His community development project was not implemented because there was a similar project under the UST Simbahayan Office.
Santos declined to be interviewed for this story.
On his Facebook page, Santos told Rey: “Maiintindihan ko pa kung tatakbo ka ulit maging treasurer because of your intention to redeem yourself. But what is so absurd in the situation, despite knowing your shortcomings as the treasurer you even decided to step up your ambition and run for the highest position, the presidency. I wish you well in life, but [in] the best interest of all the Thomasian students, I really hope you do not win as President of the Central Student Council.”
Rey is one of the three presidential candidates in the upcoming CSC elections. The others are Lakas ng Diwang Tomasino standard-bearer Patricia Yi and Lakas ng Tomasino Coalition presidential bet Janela Love Nartates. The University-wide elections will be held from April 18 to 22.
