THE PRESIDENTIAL race in the Faculty of Arts and Letters is down to two candidates, after a candidate withdrew while another was disqualified.
Independent candidate Sky Makayan officially withdrew from the local student council elections last April 7, Artlets Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairwoman Maria Margarita Villarica confirmed last April 18.
“[M]s. Makayan did not state her reason for withdrawing [and] she simply stated that she would like her name to be taken out of the ballot,” Villarica told the Varsitarian.
In 2016, Makayan ran for president under the Students’ Democratic Party, which was not allowed to field candidates this year for failing to complete the requirements for party accreditation.
The UST Central Comelec also disqualified Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UST (STAND-UST) standard bearer Rochel Bernido last April 3. Bernido failed to tender her resignation from the Thomasian Film Society as director for creative writing.
Under the UST Students’ Election Code of 2011, “no officer of the Executive Board shall, during his tenure, hold any other position in any capacity, in any recognized organization of the University.”
The disqualification was made by Artlets Comelec in Resolution No. 11 dated March 30.
Brian Leshen from political party Dekada, which swept all seven posts in the Artlets Student Council last year, and Reymark Simbulan of Grand Alliance for Progress remain candidates for the presidency.
Elections for the Central and Local Student Council Executive Board members began April 18 and will end on April 21.
Comelec announced in its official Facebook page last April 18 that the canvassing would be held on April 21, the last day of the elections, at 8 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Tan Yan Kee Student Center.
The proclamation of the winners will be held immediately after the canvassing.