LAST MARCH 19, the Ateneo Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced that the final results of the 2019 Sanggunian General Elections lead to the election of only two officers: School of Social Sciences Representative and John Gokongwei School of Management Representative. This left the two highest positions in the Sanggunian, along with the School of Humanities Representative seat, vacant. For the first time since the abolition of the electoral quota in 2016, the student body will vote and discern once more for a second set of candidates that will run during the Special Elections to fill in these vacant seats.
This year, 934 students, including seniors and those on their Junior Term Abroad, voted out of the 7,907 eligible voters, resulting in a voter turnout of 11.8%. On the other hand, only 712 students voted last year which amounted to a turnout of 12.8% of the previous population of eligible voters.
Special elections will be held on April 3-5. Candidates who lost to abstain in the general elections were allowed to file their candidacies last March 21-25, but only for positions they did not originally run for.
On March 26, COMELEC released the provisional list of candidates for the Special Elections, which includes two candidates running as president, four running as vice president, and one running as School of Humanities representative.
The results
According to the official final results, presidential candidate Samantha Que garnered 413 votes (44.5%) while 515 (55.5%) students chose to abstain from voting for president. vice presidential candidates Brian Gan and Jego Yap accumulated 227 (24.36%) and 335 (35.94%) votes respectively, while 370 (39.70%) students chose to abstain from voting for a vice president. SOH Representative candidate Ed Agay also lost to abstain, garnering only 56 (48.28%) votes compared to the 60 (51.72%) votes for abstain.
On the other hand, the incoming School of Social Sciences (SOSS) representative Kat Moreno won with 218 (55.19%) votes against the 177 (44.8%) abstain count. Similarly, Mica Torres gathered 170 (66.67%) votes and was named the John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM) representative with only 85 (33.33%) students who voted for abstain.
The final results of the elections were released only after COMELEC issued an erratum regarding the discrepancies in the vote tally. COMELEC addressed this and explained that the votes for vice presidential candidate Brian Gan were miscounted, leading to the incomplete voter turnout for the vice presidential candidates. The same memo also stated that the disparity between the tallied votes for the presidential and vice presidential candidates were due to four ballots where voters refrained from voting for the lone presidential candidate or abstain. While the figures were corrected, the results of the elections remained the same.
Interpreting the vice presidential results
COMELEC’s memorandum regarding the final results of the elections noted that there are vague protocols regarding abstentions and vacant positions in the 2016 Constitution and the 2018 Electoral Code. Article V, Section 3.3 of the 2016 Constitution specifies that the tally for abstention must cover 50% +1 of the voting population to leave a position vacant. However, Article XIII, Section 1 of the 2018 Electoral Code states that in order for a candidate to win a position, their votes should simply be “greater than the number of abstentions as well as the number of votes for each of his/her opponents.”
COMELEC noted that while Section 3.3 states that “the student body’s right to abstain must always be respected, ” it also states that for a position to remain vacant, abstain must garner the “majority of votes,” which the section defines as 50% +1. While the option to abstain won more votes than either Yap (35.94%) or Gan (24.36%), the total abstentions (39.70%) did not reach the required 50% + 1 votes.
In their computations, COMELEC decided to deviate from the standard given in Section 3.3 because this was “vague in terms of respecting the right to abstention.” COMELEC stated that if Yap was declared the winner because the votes for abstain did not amount to 50% + 1, the student body’s right to abstain would have been put in question.
In order to preserve the students’ right to abstain, COMELEC devised a way to “equally consider” the options of voting for Gan or for Yap and the decision to abstain. To calculate for this, they set the standard of plurality at 33.33% + 1 to account for three options for the vice presidential elections. Both Yap and abstain garnered more votes than the standard of plurality, but since Yap earned less votes than abstain, the position of vice president was left vacant.
COMELEC justified their mandate to interpret vague provisions by citing Article V Section 1 of the 2016 Constitution, which states that “all electoral procedures and requirements for candidacy shall be governed by the rules and regulations set by the Commission on Elections.”
Thoughts on the turnout
When asked about her thoughts on the General Elections’ final results, Moreno said that while she respects the outcome of the elections, she was also saddened by the results, especially after having witnessed her running mates’ efforts. “I have seen my slatemates dedicate the past year or more to the betterment of the Sanggunian and the student body and I also saw how hard they worked to prepare a platform that they believed is best for the students,” she commented.
Incoming JGSOM representative Mica Torres echoed Moreno’s sentiments and felt saddened by the abstentions as well. However, Torres chooses to look towards the future. “[The results are] sad but, honestly, in order for Sanggu to do better, we have to move on and we have to learn na lang from what happened,” she said.
Meanwhile, incumbent Sanggunian Vice President Niels Nable said that he feels “torn between feeling disappointed and feeling satisfied with the results.” He said that the many Sanggunian projects that benefited students may not be continued next year if there are vacancies in the student government and he noted that this would have a detrimental effect on both the Sanggunian and the student body. However, he is also satisfied with the results of the elections because it is proof that “Ateneans cast their votes judiciously” and voted “based on their conscience and personal decisions.”
Psychology freshman Gwyneth Sean affirms this as she recalls strong opinions from the student body concerning the candidates’ platforms and their answers during the 2019 Sanggunian debates. Additionally, she noted that the debates sparked conversation—–both online and on campus—about the candidates in just a few days. These discussions greatly contributed in guiding Ateneans’ voting decisions.
“[The debates] were pivotal for people’s voting choice as they saw how the candidates carried themselves, what changes they have in mind, and of course, how they think towards particular issues beyond the campus as well,” she explained.
Due to her observations on the student body, the abstentions were unsurprising for Sean. “Perhaps abstaining was a good choice for now. I don’t think it was out of spite or amusement, as others speculate, but out of genuine concern for the quality of leadership and character that [students] will fall under. However, I’m concerned about how this will affect [the Sanggunian] internally,” she added.
Vacancies and their effects
When asked about what would happen should the presidential, vice presidential, and SOH Representative positions remain vacant after the Special Elections, Moreno said there would be structural changes within the Sanggunian. According to her, elected officers will most likely have to absorb some responsibilities normally delegated to any vacant positions, depending on how the Sanggunian as a whole decides to handle the matter.
Nable emphasized the role of the remaining elected officials should there be vacant positions. “There is still hope that Sanggu will operate well next school year as long as the elected officials will be creative and strategic in addressing [the vacancies],” he said.
Moreno plans to commit extra effort in fulfilling roles that the president and vice President would normally shoulder if ever such positions remain vacant after the Special Elections. In particular, she aims to be efficient in responding to both sociopolitical issues and students’ concerns.
Should there still be vacancies after the Special Elections, Torres says she will begin consultations with the different offices of the Sanggunian. Before multiple people filed their candidacies for the special elections, she hoped that students who have a heart for service will run in the special elections. “If [there are students that] know what’s really good for the student body, I’m really encouraging [those students] to run,” she said.
According to Moreno, if no candidates are elected to the positions of president and vice president during the Special Elections, then these positions will remain vacant. She cited Article VI, Section 2.4 of the 2016 Constitution, which states that school representatives may only fill the positions of president and vice president if they are left vacant due to certain circumstances. These conditions include “death, unfortunate disability, resignation, impeachment, or disposition from the University.”
An up and coming Sanggunian
After having experienced campaigning and running for a position, Moreno recounted new realizations on the relationship between the Sanggunian and student-organizations.
“In the process of meeting people and sharing our platform, I have come to realize that there are people who believe in the potential of the Sanggunian,” Moreno shared. Aside from this, she also discovered that student organizations are willing to collaborate with the Sanggunian, “but there are barriers that prevented proper communication” between both parties. Despite this, she has a positive outlook on the Sanggunian’s future partnerships.
As an incoming Sanggunian officer, Moreno expressed gratitude to the student body for placing their faith in her during the Sanggunian General Elections. “Thank you for your trust, but as my platform says, we are better together, so I can’t do this without [the students’] help and cooperation. Allow me to be your voice, your representative and your partner in creating a SOSS that we can all be proud of,” she said.
Similarly, Torres is thankful for her victory and says that her election as JGSOM representative is only the beginning of her service to JGSOM. After running a campaign that taught her “grit,” she says that she is ready to launch her plans and projects for her constituents.
For a student such as freshman Sean, the Sanggunian can learn from online reactions about the candidates’ platforms as well as the criticism the candidates’ received for certain answers during the debates. According to her, the Ateneo community needs student leaders who are open to acknowledging matters beyond the campus and engaging the student body with national issues. “[The Sanggunian should] seek ways to engage with the students beyond tarpaulins and novelty promos about their platforms. Ateneans want to see more of personality, relevance, and competence,” she said.
As the Sanggunian transitions from one administration to another, Nable hopes that the next student government will continue to address the student body’s problems and remain engaged in socio-political issues. “Sanggu has the power to improve student life in the Ateneo. However, this will only happen if they continue and improve the things that have been accomplished this school year, and if they find other creative and proactive ways to actively engage the students in the student council,” he advised.
