All candidates under the Táyo na Maskom coalition failed to secure council seats as abstention votes topped the polls for the College of Media and Communication (CMC) 2026 Special Elections, the College Student Electoral Board (CSEB) announced on Friday, Oct. 16, at the CMC Auditorium.
570 of 964, or 59.13% of the college student body, participated in the special elections, reflecting the highest voter turnout since 2015.
Community councilor candidate Jhames Aaron Paredes garnered 242 votes (42.46%) with 328 abstentions (57.54%), attaining the most votes among the coalition bets.
Running for chairperson, candidate Guia Marie Mistades garnered 162 votes (28.42%) with 408 abstentions (71.58%).
Meanwhile, CMC representative to the University Student Council (USC) candidate Andrew Nicoli Dela Plana secured 193 votes (33.86%) with 377 abstentions (66.14%).
Dela Plana served as one of the Journalism Representatives of the college’s student council in 2025. He also ran as a candidate under the ADVANCE CMC party in the regular USC 2026 elections, prior to its withdrawal.
READ: tinigngplaridel.net/cmc-regular-polls/
When asked about his decision to vie for a seat again, Dela Plana said that his service as a student leader is not confined to alliances or party lists.
Following the results, College Secretary Iris Brillon said that the office is considering consulting the student body about “what kind of student leaders they want.”
“It [would be] really good sana kung talagang mayroon tayong elected student council because [i]t’s a question of representation, but I think the students are also very much aware that the conversation is not just about representation,” she said in an interview with Tinig ng Plaridel.
The two-day special elections were held from Oct. 15 to 16.
CMC’s council seats have remained vacant since the 2025 regular elections, when ADVANCE CMC’s candidates secured eight out of 13 positions.
READ: tinigngplaridel.net/advance-cmc-sweep/
As of writing, no announcement has been made by the College Secretary and CSEB on the next actions to elect the local student council for Academic Year 2026 to 2027.
