The 2nd Division of Student Commission on Election (SCE) dismissed SENTRO La Salle’s motion to repeal SCE Resolution No. 5 dated March 27 regarding the Official List of Candidates for the 2017 University Student Elections on March 29.
After 24 SENTRO La Salle’s candidates were declared unqualified, the said political party filed a motion on March 27 to repeal the SCE’s resolution, which SCE addressed on the same day.
In their filed motion, SENTRO La Salle concludes that Article V Section 6(a)(ii) is not an official requirement for candidacy as stated in the SCE memorandum dated February 27.
The promulgations set by the 2016 Amended University Student Election Code (E-Code) states that, “only the registered members of a political party are allowed to run under that party. Hence, the political parties are obliged to submit an updated List of Members on the last day of COC (Certificate of Candidacy) giving.”
However, SCE said that it is the political party’s obligation to submit an updated list of members since it is “clearly stated” in the E-Code that only the members included in the official list are allowed to run for the student elections.
As such, the disqualified candidates hold no such right as they are not members of SENTRO La Salle officially.
In addition, another petition filed by SENTRO La Salle included the motion to proclaim their candidates as they successfully submitted all the requirements for candidacy stipulated in the memorandum posted by SCE.
In response, SCE affirmed that SENTRO La Salle’s unqualified candidates cannot be proclaimed as official candidates since the said political party did not follow the prerequisite requirement for candidacy, which is membership.
Moreover, SCE said that the candidates of SENTRO La Salle were simply not indicated in the official list of members.
The 24 candidates who were disqualified comprise the following: two candidates who ran for the University Student Council, six from the College of Business Administration and Accountancy, five from the College of Science and Computer Studies, four from the College of Criminal Justice Education and College of Engineering and Architecture Technology, and three from the College of Education.
As of press time, SENTRO La Salle is yet to give their statement on the SCE’s decision in dismissing their motion to repeal SCE Resolution No. 5.