Upon proclaiming the official list of candidates for the upcoming University Student Elections this academic year (AY) 2018-2019, the Student Commission on Election (SCE) revealed multiple vacant positions due to lack of candidates in the slates of the College of Criminal Justice Education Student Council (CCJESC), College of Tourism and Hospitality Management Student Council (CTHMSC), and College of Education Student Council (CoEDSC).
Meanwhile, no candidates were proclaimed for positions in the College of Science and Computer Studies Student Council (CSCSSC), resulting in a blank slate.
The following positions in select councils are also vacant due to having no proclaimed candidates: (one) Public Relations Officer (PRO) in University Student Council (USC); Business Manager (BM) and PRO in the College of Business Administration and Accountancy Student Council (CBAASC); and Auditor, BM and (one) PRO in the College of Liberal Arts and Communication Student Council (CLACSC).
Only the Sinag Political Party candidates for the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology produced a full slate.
Official List of Candidate for upcoming University Student Elections (AY) 2018-2019
SCE explains
According to SCE Commissioner Ian Tagra, the reason behind the lack of candidates for this AY can be attributed to the lack of participation from the students with the decreased population in the various colleges of DLSU-D.
“Nag-usap-usap kami (SCE members), bumababa ’yong number of students ng La Salle, pangalawa, ‘yong participation ng students … participation in terms of pamamalakad sa school,” Tagra said.
Tagra added that the SCE did not disqualify any candidates for this AY’s Student Election, since all candidates complied with the requirements.
Moreover, the Commissioner shared that majority of the students in DLSU-D are comprised of third and fourth year students who would rather focus on their academics than run in the elections.
In the case of the College of Science and Computer Studies (CSCS), wherein there are no official candidates running for this AY’s student election, Tagra explained that no aspiring political candidate filed their candidacy for the said college.
“For example, may case na for this [certain] college, hindi sila makapag-patakbo (student leaders) kasi nagko-concentrate ‘yong mga bata sa mga acads (academics) nila, sa thesis nila … so they will prefer the acads (academics) more than the council.” He said.
As to what will be the plan of the SCE with the multiple positions without candidates in the USC the college student councils, Tagra said that the decision falls under the jurisdiction of the OSS, in accordance with the 2016 Amended Election Code and last year’s Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR).
Unopposed candidates
In regards to unopposed candidates, only one candidate from TATAG Lasalyano was proclaimed to run for CCJESC President, as was the case with numerous positions in select councils. The unopposed candidates will need to gain a required number of votes, depending on their college’s population, to achieve the vote of confidence in order to be proclaimed as the official winner.
According to Article 9, section 14 of the Amended Student Election Code, the vote of confidence for a college with a population of 1 to 500 students is 50 percent, 501 to 1000 is 45 percent, 1001 to 1500 is 40 percent, 1501 to 2000 is 35 percent, and 2001 and above is 30 percent.