Candidate for public relations officer Errol Salamatin cited his own “lived experiences” as the basis of his scholar-centered platform following a lengthy rejoinder from the Becarios de Santo Tomas (BeST) organization on Friday.
Salamatin, who presented his platform “Scholars Connect,” during the Varsitarian’s Botomasino: Election Forum on April 13, said his plan was conceptualized “before any consultation took place” and was based on his own “lived reality” as scholar.
“Far from disregarding BeST’s role, the very design of ‘Scholars Connect’ recognizes BeST as essential to any meaningful reform for the scholarly community,” he said in an April 18 statement.
“I dedicated the week of March 9 to 16 to consultations with Thomasian scholars for comments on my platform,” he added.
In a statement released on April 17, BeST said no candidate ever consulted it for any CSC platform.
It expressed concern over what it described as a “disregard” for its role as the representative of the Thomasian scholarly community.
“No candidate for the CSC (UST Central Student Council) elections was able to reach out to the organization to consult in the formulation of their advocacies, nor to properly channel the issues involving our sector,” the statement read.
“No further communication or official dialogue was made after, between BeST and any candidates,” it added.
BeST also said only one of its officers met with Salamatin, adding that the PRO bet had initially proposed a consultation with the board and alumni but was told it was “not feasible at the time.”
Salamatin said: “The reason these consultations came after the filing period is straightforward: you build the plan first, then bring it to stakeholders for validation.”
Salamatin told the Varsitarian that his meeting with an officer on March 7, the day the final list of candidates was released, was to align his plan of action with the cause of organization, and “not to engage in damage control.”
“The plan to formally present the project to BeST is scheduled for August 2026, given that I am elected and have assumed office by April, which is in line with the proper, systematic execution,” he said.
During the Botomasino election forum, the PRO candidate cited claims of “workplace mistreatment” and “exploitative expectations” faced by working scholars, which became his motivation for his proposed project.
As a recognized organization focused on the Thomasian scholars, BeST said it was “reasonable that the central governing body holds fellow student-led organizations in the highest regard.”
BeST added it had previously implemented ways on how Thomasian scholars could connect to the organization, such as a Facebook group, feedback forms, orientations, and consultations with the Office of Student Affairs.
The organization said it was in the “process of developing a more centralized system to inform, engage, and, most especially, ensure that scholars are heard for every struggle or concern they face.”
“BeST remains steadfast in fulfilling its mandate to the scholars, stakeholders, and the University,” the statement said.
