THE RESULTS of the 2022 national elections can be hugely influenced by the youth vote, and the Central Student Council (CSC) elections on April 4 to 8 will be a chance for Thomasian voters to exercise their right of suffrage and select leaders based on their stands on issues, a political analyst said.
In an interview with the Varsitarian, Asst. Prof. Dennis Coronacion, chair of the UST Department of Political Science, said the youth could serve as “prime movers” in the May polls.
According to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), 37,015,901 Filipinos aged between 18 and 41 years old, classified as the “youth vote,” had registered for the national elections. The age group accounts for about 56 percent of the total voting population.
“[T]hese figures about the youth vote are significant since a lot is at stake for this year’s elections—we’re looking for President Duterte’s successor,” Coronacion said.
“If only the youth can speak with one voice, through their right of suffrage, they can be a force to reckon with in this voting event. They can even determine the outcome of the elections and shape the future of this country,” he added.
Nearly 81 percent of UST students are registered voters, a Varsitarian survey has found.
According to Coronacion, the country’s young voters are more issue-oriented than personality-oriented in choosing their candidates, and they “check the candidates’ respective positions on various issues of national importance.”
Former CSC president Robert Dominic Gonzales said voting in the student council elections would be an important exercise for Thomasians so they could vote with good judgment in May.
“Our University politics is a microcosm of what is happening outside the four walls of our alma mater […] Aim for a clean and democratic conduct of the elections. Choose candidates who possess the principles of being ‘makatao,’ ‘maka-Diyos’ and ‘makabayan,’” he said.
Gonzales said students should not be afraid to constructively criticize student officers as they would be critical of government leaders.
“[A]lways be critical and never fear constructively criticizing your student government just like how we constructively criticize the national government when there is a lack of or no response. While doing so, please support your student leaders in their journey of serving all of you to their best potential,” he said.
The CSC led by Artlet Krizia Milleny Bricio has endorsed the tandem of Vice President Leni Robredo and Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan for president and vice president, the overwhelming choice of Thomasians according to a Varsitarian survey.
The national elections are slated for May 9, 2022, a month after the CSC polls.
