With only 35 qualified candidates in this year’s Student Government (SG) elections, majority of the aspirants are unopposed while 20 positions remain vacant, as observed in the official list released by the De La Salle Lipa (DLSL) Commission on Elections (Comelec) last May 6.
Only four are running as independent candidates while 31 candidates are from the long-standing party-list of the Alliance of Youth (ALAY) Leaders.
In an interview with Lavoxa Online, Comelec chairperson Sophia Mongcal shared that they expected two party-lists and more independent candidates to run, in order for the student body to discern the candidates and make informed choices.
“When there’s competition, that’s when we truly see the candidates’ competence and can make proper comparisons, rather than voting just for the sake of [the elections],” said Mongcal.
Among the councils, only the College of Nursing (CON) has a complete slate and competing candidates, as three aspirants are vying for the governor position while two are running for the third-year representative spot.
Meanwhile, 20 out of 52 positions are vacant in the upcoming elections, with two vacancies coming from the executive council, namely the treasurer and auditor.
Under the College of Business, Economics, Accountancy, and Management (CBEAM), no candidates will be running for governor, vice governor, secretary, finance manager, and coordinators for the accounting information system, financial management, and marketing management programs.
For the College of Education, Arts, and Sciences (CEAS), the governor position is vacant along with the coordinators for the psychology, biology, communication, and forensic science programs.
Moreover, the College of Information Technology and Engineering (CITE) lacks candidates for the computer science, entertainment and multimedia computing, electrical engineering, industrial engineering, and computer engineering program coordinators.
Lastly, the hospitality management program coordinator for the College of International Hospitality and Tourism Management (CIHTM) council is vacant.
Despite having fewer vacancies as compared to last year’s record of around 40, Mongcal mentioned that there is still a need to encourage more competitive candidates to run and instill the sense of responsibility to the student body.
Mongcal also emphasized that academic pressure may be one of the main reasons that hinder interested students from running, resulting in multiple vacancies for consecutive years.
“I believe academic pressure plays a significant role as student leaders need to balance their academics, personal life, and leadership responsibilities. […] There are likely students who are qualified and interested in joining the Student Government, but they might not be ready to take on more responsibilities just yet,” said Mongcal.
Similar to the past elections, application and appointment process will be conducted to address the vacancies. This includes evaluation of grades and disciplinary records, verification of other qualifications, panel interview with two outgoing SG and one incumbent Comelec officer, and final deliberation.
The campaign period has started today, May 8, and will continue until May 21. The schedule of Tapatan, elections, and release of results is yet to be announced by Comelec.
The full list of candidates can be accessed through this link: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1KgZPaYrEN/?mibextid=wwXIfr
