In his speech at the Sanggu officers’ graduation and induction ceremony, he then gestured to the officers: “Kayo ang sagot kung bakit ang Sanggunian … salamat at hindi n’yo iniwan ang Sanggunian (You are the answer … thank you for not leaving the Sanggunian).”

Castañar, along with other newly-elected Central Board and School Board officials, was officially inducted to the Sanggu in the ceremony that the Office of Student Activities organized on March 7.

Parents of outgoing and incoming Sanggu officers, the Commission on Elections, the Student Judicial Court magistrates, and administrators attended.

Three challenges

In her speech, Vice President for the Loyola Schools Ma. Assunta Cuyegkeng, Ph.D., posed three challenges to the incoming Sanggu officers.

First was the challenge of truth. Cuyegkeng said, “Naiipit tayo sa maraming bersyon ng katotohanan (We are caught between many versions of the truth).”

Sanggu officers should aspire for truth for the greater good, she said.

Cuyegkeng added that as leaders of the student body, the Sanggu officers should stick to what they believe in. This was her challenge of faith to them.

Lastly, posing her challenge for others, Cuyegkeng dared the new leaders to serve not for themselves.

She said, “Sa anumang paglilingkod, kapwa ang laging nauuna (In any kind of service, others always come first).

Bridge the gap

After the outgoing Sanggu officers graduated and received their diplomas, outgoing Sanggu President Cabrei Cabreira (IV AB IS) also gave a speech.

“Words fail me … you know how much I love the Sanggu,” she said.

Cabreira thanked her colleagues in the Sanggu, her parents, OSA Director Pia Acevedo, and Partido Ignacio in her speech. Cabreira also told Castañar to take care of the Sanggu.

“I hope you’ll (Castañar) be able to bridge the gap despite [the presence of] different parties,” she added.

Cabreira was alternately crying and laughing as she gave her speech.

“Not about the Sanggu”

Comelec Chief Commissioner Ione Abergele Salud (III AB Eu) officially proclaimed Castañar as the new Sanggu president, while SJC Chief Magistrate Cesare Mikhail Cejas (IV BS-MS Chem) facilitated the oath-taking.

Cuyegkeng and Acevedo were the official witnesses of the proclamation.

After he was proclaimed president, Castañar then presided over the oath-taking of the other new Sanggu officials. He gave his inaugural speech afterward.

Ateneo Officer-in-Charge and Academic Vice President Antonette Palma-Angeles, Ph.D., also gave a message to the newly-inducted Sanggu officials. She said, “Don’t wing it … don’t be complacent.”

“The best service you can give is not about the Sanggu; it’s about the school, the country.”

The results as of February 23, 7:42 pm are as follows:

• President: Omi Castañar (IV AB DS)
• Vice President: Monique Salcedo (III AB Comm)
• Secretary-General: Pepi Sison (II BS HSc)
• Finance Officer: Westin Contreras (III BSM AMF)

The partial results included about 4,000 votes, said Comelec Chief Commissioner Ione Abergele Salud (III AB Eu).

Breakdown of votes

The partial unofficial results for the Top Four are broken down as follows:

As posted outside the Comelec Operations Room, the partial unofficial results for the Central Board Representatives are as follows:

The partial unofficial results for the School Board Representatives are as follows:

Comelec officials started counting February 22, 9 pm. Office of Student Activities Director Pia Nazareno-Acevedo and Student Affairs Professional Georgina Ann Hernandez served as poll watchers in the overnight counting.

Before counting the votes, Comelec officers sealed the ballot boxes and left them untouched for an hour. “It’s to preserve the sanctity of the votes,” said Salud.

Comelec officers finished yesterday afternoon. As of 5:30 pm, they were verifying the votes for discrepancies.

Reactions

In an online interview, Castañar said he didn’t expect to lead in the partial results. “Lalong hindi ko ine-expect yung numbers …. kasi obviously, I’m an underdog.”

Salcedo said that she is excited to work with a new batch of officers for next school year.

On the other hand, Sison said, “I’d be happier if Ignacio wins with a sweep.”

“For now, let’s just wait for the final results and hope that the turnout would enable us to have the best people who’ll work for a strong Sanggunian on board,” she added.

There were no inter-party conflicts, mudslinging, violations, and fights between the candidates, said Comelec Human Resources Commissioner Brian Joshua Dejaresco (III AB Eco). “It has toned down, compared to last year,” he added.

Monica Danielle Santos (II AB MEco) said that this year’s elections is more organized compared to last year’s.

Red ribbons were given to those who turned in their ballots. “It’s a sign that they have exercised their right to vote,” said Salud.

The number of votes needed to reach the quota was also displayed in each voting station.

Other organizations also helped in encouraging students to vote. “There has been a greater collaboration with other orgs,” said Dejaresco.

Votes

As of 9:30 pm today, about 1,758 students have voted, said Salud in a text message to The GUIDON.

Students voted at stations in the caf atrium, Rizal Library steps, CTC-SOM, Faura, RSF, Matteo Ricci Hall, Sec B Foyer and Kostka Extension.

Most of the votes came from the caf voting station, followed by CTC-SOM.

Dejaresco said the stations are active so far. “My original fear was that [students] would no longer be interested [in voting]. As of now, it doesn’t seem [to be] that way.”

Although Thursday’s elections have been free of irregularities, Comelec is still on guard for complaints such as flying voters.

Students can still vote on Friday.

“IT IS not only the Top 4 [who are] important in the Sanggu, but also the other members,” said Klarizza Laza (II BS CTM), Comelec associate commissioner, at the miting de avance on Monday held at the SEC Field.

The 18 Central Board representatives and 32 School Board candidates for this year’s Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral General Elections presented their platforms in the miting de avance. They were each given a minute to discuss their platforms.

Unlike in past mitings de avance, candidates from Partido IBIG Agila and Partido Ignacio were not distinguished by shirt colors.

Both parties came to the event dressed in blue, which IBIG Agila member Niccole Somodio (II AB Eco) described as “unity for [Jun] Lozada.” Lozada is a state witness in the scandal-ridden ZTE broadband deal.

Mostly candidates and their fellow party members attended.

Plans and panelists
Aside from presenting their individual plans, most candidates promised to improve on the current performance of the Sanggu.

They also discussed their advantage over their opponents, their strengths as a candidate, and their opinions on the abstain vote, among others.

The candidates were also questioned about their platforms by a panel composed of student leaders from different organizations: Ateneo Debate Society’s Miko Biscocho (III BS ME), The GUIDON’s Monique Avila (III AB IS), Matanglawin’s Maki Lim (III AB Lit-Fil), and Katipunan Magazine’s Al Agassiz dela Torre (III BSM AMF).

Sanggu President Cabrei Cabreira (IV AB IS) was also part of the panel.

“Maraming kandidatong hindi kongkreto yung plataporma (Many candidates did not have concrete platforms),” Lim said.

“At lahat sila hindi nakaiintindi na mahalaga, para sa isang gawaing demokratiko katulad ng miting de avance, na magtanong sa isa’t isa sa bahaging interpolation (They also didn’t understand that it’s important to ask each other questions in a democratic exercise such as the miting de avance).”

On February 20, the Top 4 candidates—for president, vice-president, secretary general, and finance officer—also had their miting de avance at the SEC Field.

“I expect Sanggu to change next year. Also, to change the people’s perspective of it—of being just a something but nothing substantial. Hopefully, Sanggu has more concrete plans than just ideas. And hopefully people get to see it and not just the people in Sanggu.”
-William Patrick Sales (III AB Psy)

“Peace within their own ranks because it doesn’t look good [for] their image and [for] the larger Ateneo community to see them bicker and fight amongst themselves. They should focus on the bigger issues and show that they are worth our time. If they want to continue copying the situation of our Philippine government right now, their negative reputation will only increase among the other students.”
-Matthew Cua (II BS MAC)

“For me, I expect Sanggu to not only tackle the issues inside the Ateneo but more on social events na nangyayari sa outside, especially about our country. So dapat maging mas politically inclined sila.”
- Hanslouie Barlocher (III BS Mgt)

“From the Sanggunian, I expect a more involved one given that there is a great need of bringing back the trust. At the same time, it will be a good time for the Sanggu to have a fresh start, to evaluate their systems and processes and to see if [they’re] still necessary or effective.”
-Maria Clarise Valencia (IV BS Psy), Kythe president

“I’d like to see Sanggu being in solidarity with the student body which would give them a more visible and approachable image.”
-Kenrick Lester Nocom (II BS Mgt)

“I expect the next Sanggu officers next year to be able to handle more of their internal problems and be more transparent for the Ateneo community. Not unlike this year, na nagkaroon ng leadership change bigla. Sana hindi na maulit yung biglang may mapapalitan na president na lang or yung kailangan pa ng katulad ng Gadfly, may nag-e-email pala na may problema pala Sanggu.”
-Kendrick Share (III BS CS)

“The Sanggu should be able to keep their platforms which they promised to uphold, especially in terms of encouraging course distinction and identity.”
-Margaret Kawsek (II BFA ID)

“The student council ought to be the representatives of the students but I feel like the Sanggu comes as student managers lang instead of student leaders. And it’s really the org presidents who are representing the student body because they are carrying the values and the beliefs and the issues of the students through their chosen field. I think what the Sanggu should do is step up as leaders rather than be as student managers.”
-Gerauld Fiel Rivera (III BS LM)

“They should be an active voice that represents the student body and not be mere ceremonial figures.”
-Kendrick Lysander Wong (III BS MAC)

“I expect Sanggu to be more transparent with the activities, their planning and to be more visible and sana yung projects nila more action-oriented, hindi lang planning. ‘Yung execution hindi lang among the Ateneo students but sa labas din. Mag-reach out din ‘yung Ateneo students sa labas. Dalhin dapat ng Sanggu yung Ateneo students outside of Ateneo.”
- Miguel Armando Lim (III BS Psy)

“I want Sanggu to be more involved in student activities rather than social work. I want Sanggu members to listen more to their constituents. And I want Sanggu to be responsible of themselves that they will not quit in the middle of their term of office.”
- Enrique Estagle (III BFA CW)

The Sanggu’s situation is too problematic for it to move on and hold elections. At least last year, we could have attributed the Sanggu’s problems to political immaturity and the infancy of the two-party system.

This year, it has become more evident that what has been happening in Sanggu is plain dirty politics. There hardly is a way for the students to know about the internal politics in Sanggu, like the personal issues of one officer against another, because of the lack of transparency (which could well have been its product). There are only stories coming from officers frustrated by the happenings inside. (Don’t reason that they are just propagandist rumors, because that would only prove my point even more.) The mudslinging during last year’s elections, for example, can still be attributed to political immaturity and the infancy of the two-party system.

Recently, I have been hearing so many things about what had brought about the controversial events, and I do not think they are just rumors. I also do not think that they are mere consequences of “the absence of clear-cut leadership,” as someone’s claim-to-fame line goes. The resignations? The ouster? Call me a conspiracy theorist but I believe (and partly because someone told me) that they were part of a partisan maneuvering to gain (more) power.

Where does this seemingly senseless and baseless theory come from? Aside from the accounts of someone inside Sanggu, this draws from the vagueness of the statements of the people involved. Upon reading them, one gets the feeling that something is still lacking in them, that something is being left out.

Even after Sanggu’s open forum, which was advertised as the event where the true story would be told (from the point of view of only certain people, of course), some questions remain unanswered. What really happened is still unclear. What was then an issue of a lack of transparency now becomes an issue of stifling the truth. Other than this, I cannot think of a better way to reflect the actions of the Arroyo administration on the ZTE scandal (along with many others).

Hence my call to postpone the elections. The Sanggu must first prove my (and others’) theory wrong. Let there be transparency, if only in the Satinitigan controversy. This is not merely a personal issue of Satinitigan, as some say. Neither does the shedding light on this issue “lie on Karl alone.” Just as the ZTE scandal is an issue of every Filipino, so is the Satinitigan ouster an issue of every Atenean.

A student government should not be like the current Sanggu. A student government, especially in a university aiming to mold future leaders for this nation, should not mirror the (at best) disturbing state of the Philippine government.

During Boyet Dy’s presidency, when the ‘Hello, Garci?’ scandal broke out, and when the Arroyo administration urged the people to move on after the President said sorry, the students posed a question to the administration in a tarpaulin. I pose that same question now: “How could we move on without the truth?”

Si Maki Lim ay ang Punong Patnugot ng Matanglawin.

OMI CASTAÑAR (IV AB DS)
Independent

Why run?

Last year ko pa napag-isipan mag-run. I was part of the Board of Commissioners for Comelec, and I was next in line for the chairmanship. During the latter part of the first semester, I resigned, because I realized na small ‘yung scope at mandate ng Comelec for the changes that I want to pursue.

On the current Sanggu

There are no systems between the coordination of Sanggu and the other sectors and groups like COA. There are also no student calendars, for admin activities.

You never think of the Sanggu as the best leadership in the University. Maybe, after Boyet Dy, the Sanggunian had been managers of the student council, and not leaders. But I’m not saying na all of them are like that.

Is he a member of Gadfly Society?

Hindi talaga ako si Gadfly. Pero nag-a-agree ako sa kanya in terms of student activism.

As an anonymous group, Gadfly has been trying to stir up national issues. But they sparked disunity between Ateneans, and I’m against anything that sparkes disunity. For me, any movements on the Ateneo should be centered on unity. Gadfly took it a bit too far.

People arrive at the conclusion that I am part of Gadfly because I’m into student activism. If that’s the case, then I perceive it as a compliment.

The big switch

The switch in my tagline, “the big switch,” means a paradigm switch. Independents don’t usually win, that’s the paradigm. It’s the first time may independent na tumatakbo for the top four versus the two parties. There should be a switch of mindset about Sanggunian. This is not just an Agila Sanggunian or an Ignacio Sanggunian. This is our Sanggunian.

I believe that someone outside the Sanggu can lead the student body. As of now, our Sanggunian is the political parties’ Sanggunian. I plan to change the system, to make it simpler. For me, you don’t make a system that’s complex, one that won’t be understood by the students.

The power button [as seen in my campaign materials] means to turn on the Sanggu. Kasi ngayon parang nasa standby mode siya. Cabrei herself admits that there’s no clear-cut leadership in the Sanggunian.

On campaigning as an independent candidate

I’ve been banking on word-of-the-mouth for my campaign. My strongest point would be my connection to the orgs-I was a member of ASLA and I know many leaders of the orgs.

…It’s very hard to be an independent candidate. It’s hard to ask people to give you donations, kahit supporters mo sila. Campaigning alone is difficult; I can’t cover all the classes for room-to-room.

People support me, but it’s hard to make them commit to campaigning, because we’re all busy.

There’s a common notion na ‘yung independent, hindi kinuha ng parties. Pero what I want is a different perception-that’s what I’m hoping for.

First thing he’ll do when elected

I’ll talk to the orgs and sectors. I’ll make sure we’re on the same page. During the summer, we’ll have the strategic planning. I’ll also talk sense to some Sanggu officers. I’m not joining the Sanggu to be part of a barkada. I’m here to serve.

I’m running for students to have hope in the Sanggu. For me, a good Sanggu does not put its name in things, but rather, it makes a system that makes students’ lives better.

 ————–

JAURO CASTRO (II AB Meco)
Ang IBIG-Agila

Why run?

I am running because I feel that I am at, if not reaching my prime in wanting to do something for the student government. I have been in the Sanggunian even during my high school days and I want to bring what I have learned through all these years to the student government next year. It’s not about pride or proving something. It’s about bringing what I can contribute to the table and share that.

On this year’s Sanggu

Contrary to what people would say, Sanggu has done a lot this year. If I could just stress on how the representatives were given so much importance through leadership seminars, plenaries for discussion and having them head projects, I think that would be a huge improvement in itself. However, these things are but internal. We know inside that we have been working so much; the problem is that we have not been able to show the students how we have done that, or how these could affect them.

His vision

[I have] a vision for the Sanggunian, not thought about overnight or for the purpose of having one. I have seen what worked and what didn’t work over the past years, and the main direction I want to aim is that:
1) Sanggunian is for everyone; we are a student government and that entails a big responsibility to be well-off yourself, at the same time reach out to the simplest of students.
2) Change cannot happen overnight. My vision is not a 100-day plan; it’s shaping leaders and students that can course through continuity Sanggunian batch by Sanggunian batch. My vision is just part of a big vision for a shaping ground for student leaders.
3) Vision has to be set to action. I want to see results, even at the minimal levels because,
4) I believe in the process, not just the end goal. If a project fails quantitatively, and if you ask the students or those who took part in the effort if they grew as persons with the experience, I would say that the project was a success in changing people.
5) The student government is not simply about work and influence; it’s about formation and inspiration.

On rumors about his academic status

I did fail my Accounting during the 1st semester, and that’s about it. I’m not a floating student and I’m not a course-quitter. I choose not to get affected because I for one know that I am not a bad student. I don’t go around cutting my classes, I don’t cheat, I try hard not to cram and I try to get the job done as always. I’m a regular student going through the same things that other students go through. It’s a weakness and a strength because I know where they’re coming from.

On why academics is important

Oh, it’s [academics] very important. That I learned especially this year. I can’t go out to people saying you have to do better if I can’t show that myself, and this semester I’ve been working really hard on that. I’ve been better because I realized that you’ve got to walk your talk. Academics is just as important as practice, as practice is as important as academics.

————

GAB PEREZ (III AB Meco)
Partido Ignacio

Priorities

This is something close to my heart. I started out as a block rep, I didn’t start out as an executive right away. I started out as a block rep. I ran for executive, I did executive work, I worked very closely to the reps, and they knew how I felt because I was a block rep prior to that. I’m a central board rep and chair of STRAW. I really believe in the Sanggunian and it’s really sad to see how it has greatly declined. I know that there can be so much more, that we can bring it back once more but we really need to do hard work. In terms of priorities, I don’t feel that I have to, it’s a given that academics are there, I think that I have gained enough training to not put one over the other but to put them side by side. I can still do well in my academics side but at the same time never ever, ever neglect my Sanggunian duties.

On rumors on his abilities as a leader

I think that I’d be a hypocrite if I said that I didn’t get affected. But at the same time, I just respect whatever opinion or judgment people may have of me. It’s also encouraging for me that I get a lot of texts when people tell me, “Gab, you don’t have to join the play, just let your work speak for yourself.” So, I’ll just let my work speak for myself. People can say whatever they want. Hopefully, with basis but then if they just want to hurl whatever against me, I can’t do anything about it. It’s beyond my control.

First thing he’ll do when elected

I feel that my first goal is to activate all the institutions that can render student services. Because that’s the fastest way for students to feel their Sanggunian. I don’t think that statements make a student feel that they have their Sanggunian to back them up. I don’t feel that press releases or interviews make them feel that they have a Sanggunian. It has to be concrete. For example, again for the Magna Carta cases, the sample long tests, also with the projects, I don’t want to say I’m proud kasi parang ang yabang, I feel that it helps me that I have walked that talk. That I have went through the ranks, as a block rep, and then as executive, and as central board. So, while Monique will be calendaring the activities. I want to be there in the planning, not just in approving the projects but actually helping them with concrete input … if Pepi and Westin will be doing the house cleaning, I’ll be the one … If they’re bringing it inside, I’ll be the one bringing the Sanggunian to the students.

[We] should also pinpoint sectors that up until now don’t have proper representation … for example, the scholars. Until now, they don’t have a Constitution representation. With representation, I don’t just mean an avenue for their needs to be heard but an avenue for their needs to be acted upon concretely. Resulta. And also I feel that we should strengthen our seats in the school councils and the school council in the different committees.

On Gadfly

Personally, Gadfly has very valid points. But to Gadfly, if you really want concrete change, come out, come out wherever you are.

[Criticism] is very good but then there’s a difference between criticizing and criticizing and then acting on it. If you just criticize and criticize, no statue was ever built for a critic. You have to stand up and do something.

With a report from Sandie B. Gadia