In results from the quickest election count in UP history, Titus Tan of Nagkakaisang Iskolar para sa Pamantasan at Sambayanan (KAISA) won chairperson of the 2009 University Student Council (USC) on Feb. 25, the first time for the yellow party since it was founded in 2005.

The 2009 election, when all voting in UP Diliman was uniformly done and counted electronically for the first time, gave KAISA 11 seats in the 34-member council, along with Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP (Stand-UP). Nine seats went to the Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral Para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran (ALYANSA), while three went to independent candidates. (see updated USC elections 2009 results)

Tan scored a more than 1,500-vote lead over Airah Cadiogan of Stand-UP, to whom he lost last year in a tight race for USC vice chair. Tan got 4,900 votes while Cadiogan won 3,389. Niña Marie Angela Acasio of ALYANSA meanwhile gained 1,276 votes.

Stand-UP’s Jaqueline Joy Eroles won USC vice chair over Joseph Miguel Gutierrez of ALYANSA with a 614-vote difference. Both are councilors in the outgoing council.

Tan, the first candidate from KAISA to win a councilor seat in 2006, is also joined in the incoming USC by three councilors from KAISA. They won the last of the 12 councilor seats and gave their party its first councilor posts since Tan first won.

An independent candidate, Christopher Mariano “Kester” Yu, meanwhile became the number one councilor after running on an environment-focused platform. In at least four years, it was also the first time an independent snagged the most votes among councilors.

Stand-UP and ALYANSA shared four councilor seats each. The other independent, Arnie “Bong” Arquiza, landed 24th place among the 35 candidates.

Tan and Yu both come from the College of Science, where they succeeded each other as college student council chairpersons.

All goes electronic

This year’s vote also put to its first large-scale test an electronic voting system that for the first time connected computers in precincts all over UP Diliman.

Students this year had a chance to vote by merely registering at the precinct, logging online with their student numbers and generated passwords, selecting their favored candidates, and confirming their votes with a mouse click.

Voter turnout this year dipped almost three points from last year, with 10,024 students or 42.96 percent of the total voting population of 23,333. The 2008 elections registered a 45.91 percent turnout.

Members of the technical team from the UP Linux Users Group (UnPLUG) stationed across the precincts to assist students and facilitate the voting.

UnPLUG developed the open-source software used for the elections, which has been used in dormitory council elections for some years and at five UP buildings in last year’s elections.

Votes cast from all colleges were monitored and counted by a central server in the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute. After 7 p.m., the team at the server had to wait for all precincts to finish before it could close the system and start counting, members said.

All precincts finally closed around 7:30 p.m. Less than a minute after, the total results were available for viewing in each precinct.

Last year, election watchers had to hold vigil in Vinzons Hall until early morning as the results came in from each college, the larger or farther ones often near the end.

Despite technical setbacks on election morning, the election turned out “successful,” as described by Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Elizabeth Enriquez to the Philippine Collegian.

Six students in various colleges were reported by the Collegian to have voted manually. Other students’ names also did not show up in the database.

A number could not vote at once due to problems logging in. Usually these were caused by mistyping the passwords given to them, said UnPLUG members. For instance, the students often mistake the small letter L for the number 1.

UnPLUG told TNP/UPJourn.net it hopes to release the breakdown of votes this week.

Titus Tan of KAISA arrives at the College of Mass Communication for an informal debate for USC candidates.

By Rachel Miranda and Katrina Alba
Tinig ng Plaridel / UPJourn.net

If building call centers and commercial centers on UP’s unused land is commercialization, how about building a zoo?

Titus Tan, Nagkakaisang Iskolar para sa Pamantasan at Sambayanan (KAISA) candidate for University Student Council (USC) chairperson, gave this as an instance of a “productive” use for UP’s idle assets when asked for alternatives to tuition and other fees increase (TFI) at a USC mudslinging event last Feb. 20 at Palma Hall.

Tan and three other candidates from KAISA joined four candidates from Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral Para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran (ALYANSA), four from Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP (STAND-UP), and one independent candidate at the debate dubbed “Babangon Ako’t Dudurugin Kita.”

A zoo, Tan said, was his favorite example of how using the university’s resources generate income for the university while still “encourag(ing) academic integrity,” one of five “safety nets” KAISA proposed to ensure that using these lands does not border on commercializing UP.

“Ang lupa kasi is a form of state subsidy that is given by the government for us to utilize,” Tan said. “So one example na pinakagusto kong i-share: kunwari magpatayo tayo ng zoo dyan. It is not commercialization.”

Other safeguards KAISA proposed in its General Program of Action (GPOA) were consulting with affected sectors, not using these lands as a substitute for the state subsidy, preserving the environment, and ensuring transparency.

Councilor candidate Raymond Pestana from STAND-UP replied, “The problem with (these proposals) is that they entice commodification. Iiba ang focus ng administration. Magtayo tayo ng structures sa UP para pumunta ang tao, magka-pera tayo. It’s not just for education.”

When asked if the global financial crisis would make it hard for UP to get a higher share in the national budget, STAND-UP’s Jemimah Garcia said the worsening economy is enough reason the government should invest more in social services for the people.

“May pera ang gobyerno. Ang problema ay allocation,” Garcia said. STAND-UP is calling for collective action by students to campaign for greater state subsidy for UP and other state universities and colleges.

KAISA, ALYANSA, and independent candidate Christopher Yu all called for UP to develop its lands to supplement the government subsidy which funds the university.

ALYANSA is also campaigning to strengthen the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP) as an alternative to TFI.

JB Gomez, running for councilor under ALYANSA, said, “Naniniwala tayo na (kung) kayang magbayad, bakit hindi magbayad? Ang hindi kayang magbayad, bakit dapat magbayad? Tutulungan na lang.”

KAISA challenged ALYANSA’s answer, saying that such a system of the rich paying more to answer for the less-fortunate was already present in the taxes paid by the parents of UP students.

The mudslinging was organized by the Halalan sa Diliman ’09 team led by the Philippine Collegian and UP Solidaridad, a system-wide alliance of student publications and writers’ organizations.

Part 1 and Part 2 have been posted previously. You can view all the videos on Vimeo.

Question # 3: “Natapos na ang SR referendum at naratipika ang CRSRS. Batay sa inyong mga pahayag, lahat kayo ay naniniwala na mahalaga ang student representation. Ano nga ba ang tunay na kahulugan ng ’student representation’ para sa inyo?”

Audience question: “Looking back, ano ang pagkukulang na hindi ginawa sa paghahanda sa CRSRS referendum?”

Stand-UP responds.

Audience question: “Looking back, ano ang pagkukulang na hindi ginawa sa paghahanda sa CRSRS referendum?”

ALYANSA responds.

Question # 4: “Finals week. Hating gabi. Nasa Vinzons Hall ka. May mahalagang pulong ang USC tungkol sa isang event na bukas magaganap, at ikaw ang punong abala. Ngunit, meron ka ring pagsusulut bukas ng umaga, at hindi ka pa nakapag-aral. Ito ang magpapasiya kung papasa o babagsak ka sa klase na iyon. Ano ang gagawin mo?”

Question # 5: “Ano ang iyong pagtatasa sa outgoing University Student Council?”

(This video series encompasses the first five questions asked to candidates during the event, as well as questions from the audience. Videos taken by Tinig Ng Plaridel staff members Jenin Velasquez and Rachel Miranda.)

2009 USC Elections Mudslinging (February 20, 2008) – Part 2 from Rachel Miranda on Vimeo.

Part 2: (question was cut off)

Question # 2: “Sa panahon ng krisis pang-ekonomiya, malabo nang makakuha ang unibersidad ng mas mataas na pondo mula sa gobyerno. May alternatibo pa ba sa tuition and other fees increase (TFI)?”

Also includes a question from an audience member.

Previous parts: Part 1

(This video series encompasses the first five questions asked to candidates during the event, as well as questions from the audience. Video taken by Tinig Ng Plaridel staff members Jenin Velasquez and Rachel Miranda.)

2009 USC Elections Mudslinging (February 20, 2008) – Part 1 from Rachel Miranda on Vimeo.

Part 1: Opening remarks by Philippine Collegian editor-in-chief Larissa Mae Suarez and explanation of debate mechanics.

Question # 1: “Nasa kalagitnaan na ng kanyang termino si UP President Emerlinda Roman. Kung bibigyan ka ng pagkakataong humalili sa kanya sa loob ng isang linggo, anu-ano ang gagawin mo at bakit?”

Also includes a question from an audience member.

Next parts: Part 2

(This video series encompasses the first five questions asked to candidates during the event, as well as questions from the audience. Video taken by Tinig Ng Plaridel staff members Jenin Velasquez and Rachel Miranda.)

Past experiences of student leaders in the College of Human Kinetics (CHK) student council have led to lack of interest among students to run for the positions.

“Nobody wants to run since the council is usually overworked,” Marla Cuerdo, CHK Student Relations Officer said.

CHK representative Lester Yupingkun said the council performs duties that should otherwise be the concern of the administration.

“Since the administration provides little support to varsity teams, the council busies itself in supporting the teams instead,” Yupingkun added.

As a result, only six out of 12 council posts are expected to be filled for this year’s elections.

Among the six candidates are incumbent CHK representative Yupingkun who is running as chairperson, Sports Science major Niko Paolo Francisco, as councilor, Shereen Badoy as Sports Science representative, John Michael Cargo and Charmie Christine Tomaneng as Physical Education representatives, and Denise Ann Espiridion as Certificate in Sports Science representative.

Raymund Salvador, Sports Science major and member of KAISA is the sole candidate for CHK representative.

Since all candidates are running unopposed, a majority vote is needed for each to win. Assuming the college has achieved 50+1% voter turnout, a special elections will be held to fill the vacant positions.

“If no one else runs, there is a possibility of appointing existing members to other council positions,” said Yupingkun.

All the candidates are running with no direct party affiliation. Since 2006, candidates have run as independents though they have been identified with certain political parties. For example, Michael Gonzales and Mik Fajardo of STAND-UP won as CHK representative consecutively. Yupingkun, a KAISA member, is now running independent as council chairperson.

With reports from Jenin Velasquez

Asked to rate the performance of outgoing University Student Council chair Herminio “Third” Bagro, the students vying to succeed him each gave varied assessments.

The USC chairperson candidates of UP Diliman’s three main political parties answered this, each for only one minute, among questions posed Thursday night at a miting de avance in the freshmen dorm Kalayaan Residence Hall.

KAISA bet Titus Tan said that while Bagro’s term saw many projects and activities, the council was “not united.”

Bagro’s party mate Niña Acasio of ALYANSA said Bagro “stood by his principles.” She added that his administration still had room to improve but did not note where. “No USC chair was after all perfect,” she said in Filipino.

Outgoing USC vice chair and current STAND-UP standard bearer Airah Cadiogan said Bagro’s term should not be assessed based only on how he did his job, but instead on how the whole council, as a body, did theirs.

Bagro won the election last year, giving the chairperson post back to ALYANSA since Kris Ablan won in 2004. His term saw as one of its projects the USC-led renovation of Vinzons Hall.

He presided over a council of one vice chair, seven councilors and six college representatives from STAND-UP; four councilors and seven college representatives from ALYANSA; five college representatives from KAISA; one independent councilor, and two independent reps.

The sortie at Kalayaan Residence Hall is the first campaign stop in a tour of nine dormitories.

Posted 13 February 2009/10:05 pm

Let the games begin.

Contenders for the upcoming University Student Council (USC) elections defended their stand on various campus issues, like tuition increases and dormitory admission policies, in a mudslinging event held at Kalayaan Residence Hall last February 12.

Party candidates from Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral Para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran (Alyansa), Nagkakaisang Iskolar para sa Pamantasan at Sambayanan (Kaisa) and Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP (Stand-UP) attended the event, along with two independent candidates for USC councilor.

Disparate views

The issue of tuition and other fee increases (ToFI) was one of the main topics discussed by candidates in the first stop of their dormitory tours. Though each of the three parties opposes ToFI, they propose different alternatives.

While Stand-UP reaffirmed their calls against commercialization of UP’s idle assets, candidates from Kaisa said that they are “pro to productive utilization of assets, but with certain safeguards.”

Alyansa contenders said that “social justice” will be the solution to the lack of state subsidy for UP. They favor the idea of richer students subsidizing the tuition of those coming from families with lower income.

The three parties, however, all agreed that there should be transparency in the application procedure and a review of the current centralized system implemented by the Office of Student Housing.

Initial difficulties

In an interview with the Collegian just before the debate, USC candidates for chairperson shared their experiences in preparing for the campaign period.

Alyansa standard bearer Niña Marie Acasio said that though they had barely a week to prepare for the campaign, they are thankful that their whole party ticket was approved by the University Student Electoral Board (USEB).

Aside from the two standard bearers (chairperson and vice-chairperson), Alyansa has nine candidates for the USC councilor position.

Kaisa standard bearer Titus Tan, on the other hand, said that they are confident about winning the elections despite the last-minute disqualification of Ramon Miguel Abeleda, their contender for the positon of vice-chairperson. The USEB disqualified Abeleda because he did not meet the minimum grade requirement stated in the election code.

Kaisa has 12 candidates running for the USC councilor position.

Meanwhile, Stand-UP standard bearer Airah Cadiogan said that the party is entering the elections with ‘high morale,’ brought by the success of the recently concluded student regent referendum.

Stand-UP will be bidding with a complete party ticket of two standard bearers and 13 councilors, although they had initial difficulties with the applications of their councilor bids.

The mudslinging event is only the first of the dormitory tours to be conducted for this year’s campaign period. The Alliance of Concerned Dormitories, which is spearheading the tour, has yet to finalize the schedule of mudslinging events in the eight remaining UP dormitories.