INDEPENDENT bets dominated the list of preliminary candidates for the 2018 Central Student Council (CSC) Executive Board polls after the filing of certificates of candidacy on Wednesday, which marked the beginning of the election season in the University.
Former CSC public relations officer Francis Santos is eyeing the council’s presidency and will go against Civil Law sophomore Karizza Kamille Cruz, who had served as secretary of the Civil Law Student Council and the CSC.
NOW: Filing of certificates of candidacy for the 2018 Central Student Council elections at Room 403 of Tan Yan Kee Student Center Building. #BOTOmasino2018 pic.twitter.com/ZQVEM3emnc
— The Varsitarian (@varsitarianust) March 21, 2018
Victor Amores, a biochemistry junior, was the sole student to file his candidacy for the position of vice president.
Medicine freshman Robert Gonzales and journalism junior Carol Anne Balita are gunning for the position of secretary.
Vying for the position of treasurer are marketing management junior Alek Pierce Sta. Ana and Graduate School student Rome Voltaire Gomez.
Medical technology junior Adrian Lee Fernando is running unopposed for the position of auditor.
Advertising arts student Jeanne Nicole Naval and political science juniors Jeremiah Pasion and Jan Krianne Pineda all filed their candidacies for the position of public relations officer.
Lakas ng Diwang Tomasino (Lakasdiwa), the sole University-wide political party accredited by the UST Central Commission on Elections (Comelec), failed to field any candidate for this year’s student polls.
Comelec legal head Blaine Veron told the Varsitarian Lakasdiwa members could still file a motion for reconsideration to file their certificates of candidacy.
“They can file for a motion for reconsideration stating kung bakit sila na-late or di sila nakaabot and we will make an en banc decision if there is an acceptable reason,” he said.
Lakasdiwa has yet to comment on the matter as this story was being written.
Lakas Tomasino Coalition (LTC), whose candidates once dominated the CSC, was barred from fielding candidates. The party violated online campaigning rules in the student polls last year.
READ: Comelec suspends LTC for one academic year
The poll body will release the official list of candidates on March 23.
The campaign period will be from April 3 to 17 and the mandatory debate will be on April 3.
Regular elections will run from April 11 to 21, and the proclamation of the new CSC officers will be on April 21.
