Chloe Angeli Antonio was proclaimed the next UP Diliman University Student Council (USC) vice chairperson on Friday, May 16, despite abstentions exceeding her vote count.
Amassing 3,173 votes, UP Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran (UP ALYANSA) candidate Antonio won over Laban Kabataan Coalition (LKC) independent bet Darlene Joyce Cerico, who got 2,967 votes, but lagged behind 4,151 abstentions.
The University Student Electoral Board declared Antonio the winner as her combined votes with Cerico (6,140) eclipsed the abstain count, according to Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jose Carlo de Pano.
“Kapag tinotal mo ‘yung votes do’n sa dalawang candidates versus do’n sa [abstain], mas mataas ‘yung votes para do’n sa dalawang candidates,” de Pano told Tinig ng Plaridel.
During last year’s special elections, only two councilors were proclaimed after abstentions outvoted three other councilor aspirants. Abstain also swept all USC seats during the 2024 regular campus polls, and left standard bearer posts vacant in 2023, upholding the 2016 ruling by the University Student Electoral Tribunal.
Amid the 2010 University Student Electoral Code’s lack of provisions on abstentions, Office of Student Projects and Activities coordinator Jay-Ar Igno expressed plans to introduce amendments to the code.
“Patunayan natin na hindi natin talaga kalaban ang abstain. Upuan na natin ang mga pagbabago, ang reporma, para sa election code natin, ‘di ba? Sama-sama nating baguhin para sa mas matagumpay pa nating mga pagsasamahan,” said Igno during the proclamation.
Antonio, who previously ran under STAND UP, will lead the next USC with incumbent USC councilor Joaquin Buenaflor as chairperson.
Running unopposed under LKC, Buenaflor obtained 6,082 votes, defeating the 4,209 abstentions. He is the first USC chairperson-elect to receive over 6,000 votes since the year 2000.
Historic win
UP Diliman also saw its first-ever political prisoner USC officer after creative writing student Amanda Echanis led the councilor race with 4,830 votes.
She was arrested in 2020 with her then one-month-old baby for alleged illegal possession of firearms and explosives, a charge routinely used by the state against activists. The councilor-elect and various human rights groups have said that state forces fabricated the evidence.
“Naiiyak ako kasi ‘yun naman talaga ‘yung pinaglalaban natin, ‘yung genuine student representation […] Congrats sa atin kasi panalo natin ‘to, panalo ng mga kabataan,” said Echanis, who aims to forward arts-related campaigns during her term.
Attending all pre-election forums virtually, Echanis won alongside her six co-LKC councilor candidates and UP ALYANSA’s lone councilor bet. Abstentions ranked last in the councilor race, receiving 3,303 votes.
This year’s two-day USC polls logged a 40% voter turnout—the highest since 2021.
UP Diliman students can file post-election protests from May 19 until May 26.
