2010 USC Debate Forum – USC Chairperson Round

“Next In Line: Student Leaders Defined”, a debate-forum for the candidates in the 2010 UP Diliman University Student Council (USC) Elections, was held on February 17, 2010 at the College of Mass Communication (CMC) Auditorium from 4 to 7 p.m. The event was sponsored by the 2009-2010 USC Education and Research Committee, Academic Core, the UP Debate Society, and the CSSP Academic Circle.

The following videos are of the USC Chairperson Round, featuring candidates Gabriel Villamil (Kaisa), Mario Cerilles (Alyansa) and Rainier Sindayen (STAND-UP).

Part 1: Introductions, Questions on University Issues, National Issues

2010 USC Debate Forum – USC Chairperson Round (part 1) from Rachel Miranda on Vimeo.

Question # 1: Assuming that you win, how would you unite the different council members to achieve a consensus on matters that are political in nature?

Follow-up Question: So it seems that you are all results-oriented. So for instance, you have to release a political statement on a stand of the USC on a very divisive political issue. Are you willing to release a statement of behalf of the USC that might not necessarily reflect your own stance or your party’s stance but majority of the council members want that?

Question # 2: What is your stance on companies and corporations that donate money, equipment and facilities to the university? What do you think of the leasing of land by UP to private corporations?

Follow-up Question: If you believe that the idle assets of the university should be used, can you name some examples and what you plan to do with them? Or if you don’t believe that idle assets should be touched at all, then what do you plan to do with them? Do you plan to let them stay idle, or do you plan to do something else with them?

Question # 3: Should we have a grade requirement as a standard for the selection of the next Student Regent?

Follow-up Question: If you don’t believe that we should have a grade requirement, what do you think is the most important student interest that that Student Regent must represent? Or if you believe that we must have a grade requirement, what exactly is that grade requirement? Is a GWA of 3 enough, or should the Student Regent step up?

Question # 4: We have a particularly problematic current event. So can you please assess the government’s action when it comes to the arrest of the 43 medical workers who were allegedly members of the CPP-NPA?

Note: The continuation of the answers to this question is recorded in Part 2.

Part 2: National Issues, Personal Question

2010 USC Debate Forum – USC Chairperson Round (part 2) from Rachel Miranda on Vimeo.

Follow-up Question: Assuming that all legal safeguards are there, all rules were followed, there was no torture and there were no human rights violations, will it still be justifiable for the government to arrest and detain 43 people on suspicion of being communist insurgents?

Question # 5: If you were to vote now, who would you vote for as president in the national elections and why?

Follow-up Question: Do you plan to pursue politics after college or after law school?

Question # 6: I hope none of you will take this personally, or take any offense. But assuming that you cannot vote for yourself, who would you vote for among you three candidates? One final disclaimer: you cannot vote for abstain.

(Videos for the USC Vice-Chair and Councilors Rounds will be uploaded as soon as possible. Videos taken and transcribed by Rachel Miranda, with assistance from Katrina Alba and Jenin Velasquez.)