THE Central Commission on Elections (Comelec) is ramping up efforts to revive student political parties as the Central Student Council (CSC) election period begins.
All election-related activities at UST will begin with the registration and accreditation of central political parties from Feb. 17 to 22, followed by their onsite exposition on Feb. 24 and from Feb. 26 to March 1.
This initiative signals a wider push to end the five-year absence of political parties in UST.
The last time a political party was accreditated was in 2019, when Lakas ng Diwang Tomasino and Lakas Tomasino Coalition fielded CSC candidates. Since 2020, all CSC bets have run as independents.
Under the UST Student Election Code (USEC), political parties are student groups united by a common ideology, political ideas, or platforms of governance. University-wide parties must have at least 50 members, with at least two representatives from 15 academic units.
CSC aspirants may file their certificates of candidacies on Feb. 24, 25, and 27.
The positions of president and vice president will be restricted to incumbent members of their local student councils. The positions of secretary, treasurer, auditor, and public relations officer will remain open to all students.
The requirements to file a candidacy are as follows:
- two copies of the certificate of candidacy;
- a black-and-white passport-sized photo;
- transcript of records (TOR) with general weighted average certified by the UST registrar, or a certified copy of transcript from the MyUSTe student portal;
- Certificate of Good Moral Character issued by the Office for Student Affairs;
- a photo of the candidate’s student ID or MyUSTe student profile;
- a copy of the registration form;
- a copy of the program of government; and
- a copy of an updated curriculum vitae.
The Central Comelec will release the preliminary list of candidates on Feb. 27.
Aspirants may complete their deficiencies until Feb. 28. The Central Comelec will release the final list of candidates during the reading of the implementing rules and regulations of the new USEC on March 1.
Online and onsite campaigning will run from March 18 to April 5.
Tagisan, the mandatory debate for CSC bets, is set for April 5, also the final campaign day.
The University-wide election period is slated for April 7, 8, and 10 to 12.
The new set of CSC leaders, which will replace the current slate composed of only two officers elected in November, will be proclaimed on April 12 after the canvassing and proclamation of votes.
