THE BATTLE for the Sanggunian has begun.

Student political formations Alliance of Student Leaders (ASL) and the Christian Union for Socialist and Democratic Advancement (Crusada) will be joined by the newly formed Movement for Ignatian Initiative and Transformative Empowerment (Ignite) in this year’s upcoming Sanggunian General Elections, set to be held from February 14 to 17.

As previously reported, the League of Atenean Youth for Liberal Advocacy (Loyola), another new student formation, will not be participating.

The filing of candidacy took place last January 9 to 20. The campaign period started January 24 and will end on February 12.

No expectations, pressure

Despite her party’s being a newcomer, Ignite President Ana Raymundo said that her group is set on joining the elections. “People would think [we should’ve] waited another year, but then again, you create a party because you see the need for it,” she said.

Ignite Vice President for Strategy AJ Elicaño said that although starting a new party for the elections is ambitious, it is also liberating. “There’s no pressure of a really old party that you can’t disappoint,” he said. “It’s about being relevant to the students and to who we are now, and challenging them.”

Raymundo said that they took their time and putting effort in recruiting candidates, and made sure that the candidates know how the system works in the student council.

“We want this to be well-thought-of. We do not just get people for the sake of getting them… It’s a mix of people who are elected and people who are from the outside, because we really want to show a real representation of Ateneo,” she said.

Same method, new filtering system

ASL, meanwhile, looked among its own ranks for the candidates it is fielding for the elections. Chairperson Alvin Yllana said that ASL is still using the same recruitment strategy used for the past three years, although the coalition has now added a new filtering system in choosing its candidates. Applicants are asked to submit their resume and plans and to submit themselves for an interview. However, this system is only implemented when there are two or more people running for the same position.

“Let’s say we have two or more people running for the same positions in the Top 55. That’s the time that we’re going to screen them. [We] will discuss who the better choice is and then the one who comes up as the chosen one will of course be the one endorsed,” Yllana said.

Unidentified plans

Meanwhile, the only accredited political party in the elections has mentioned little of its plans.

In a message sent to The GUIDON, Crusada Party Premier Miguel Rivera said that they have nothing new to say regarding the elections. He said that the party had been busy organizing other projects or pursuing other goals, such as the recent visit of several workers from the Philippine Airlines Employees Association and the scholarship petition for the Ateneo Employees and Workers Union.

Crusada is fielding the least number of candidates among the three political formations, with only nine candidates, compared to 98 from ASL and 62 from Ignite.

No official involvement

Sanggunian Vice President and Loyola Chairman Pro Tempore Gio Alejo reiterated his party’s non-participation in this year’s elections, as the party members are still finishing work on the final set-up of the new formation.

“We don’t want to field a candidate as a party just to have a party to present in the elections, because we’re still in the process of finalizing our constitution and recruiting members,” he said. “We don’t want to hasten the process of [students] joining the party and then running… without knowing [the party’s] principles.”

Loyola’s constitution is currently being written with the help of former members of the defunct Partido IsaBuhay IsaGawa – Agila (IBIG-Agila).

According to Alejo, only after the constitution’s ratification would they seriously start recruitment and seek accreditation.

He clarified that Loyola members are still running in the elections, but as independent candidates. The party itself would have no official involvement.

Alejo is running independently for Sanggunian president against School of Social Sciences Junior Central Board Representative Moses Albiento, another independent.

Platforms first

With three student political formations vying for Sanggunian positions, the difference may boil down to the candidates’ platforms and vision for the student body.

“Now that [IBIG-Agila] has disbanded, I think [that] gives more avenues for students to look at the perspectives of the candidates, not based on which party they belong to, but on the plans that they really have for the student body,” said Alejo.

“Know the person and don’t just vote because they are your friends or because they look good or they seem to work hard,” Yllana said. “You can only vote once. It’s your right, so don’t waste it.”