WITH NO Top 4 in place, the Sanggunian Central Board (CB) has created the position of an official CB liaison to act as its temporary representative for the school year.
The creation of the CB liaison position was in response to the school-wide failure of the Sanggunian General Elections held on March.
The positions of the president, vice president, secretary-general and finance officer were all left vacant, leaving the Sanggunian without a Top 4.
The CB approved the addendum that officially instated the position of the CB liaison to the Sanggunian Code of Internal Procedures (CIP) during a meeting on April 24.
Fourth Year John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM) CB Representative Ga-el Mendoza was elected as the official CB liaison in another CB meeting held the next day.
Details
Sanggunian Committee on Rules Chairperson CJ Leong said that the CB liaison “shall act as the spokesperson of the Sanggunian and shall also act as the official signatory in the absence of both the president and the vice president.”
The position of a CB liaison will only exist when both the seats of the president and the vice president are vacant; the position of the CB liaison will be vacated once either seat is filled.
However, as stipulated in Article XV, Section 4(a) of the 2005 Constitution of the Undergraduate Students of the Ateneo de Manila Loyola Schools, the position of the Sanggunian president cannot be filled via the upcoming special elections.
Leong further clarified that the CB liaison is not considered a higher position than a CB representative; the CB remains the highest decision making body of the Sanggunian.
“The liaison does not at all affect the School Board, unlike the president. [The CB liaison] does not have veto powers… It’s just an internal role within the Sanggunian,” Leong added in a mix of English and Filipino.
Despite being the representative of the Sanggunian, Mendoza noted that he cannot make decisions on behalf of the CB.
“[The position] has no decisive power. If, for example, the admin says we have to decide on something. [I would say] I have to consult the CB,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
In addition, Mendoza noted that seniority, both in the school and within the Sanggunian, was a crucial factor in determining who the liaison would be.
“Usually, the president is a 4th year student already. The president would already know the systems [inside the Sanggunian], so we tried to get the most experienced [member],” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
According to Mendoza, the vote was between himself and 2nd Year JGSOM CB Representative Jared Sarmiento.
Mendoza stated that the probable factors for nominating him were that he was a senior and has been a Sanggunian member for three years. For Sarmiento, it was perhaps because he is the only current officer who was in the CB last year.
Context
Leong stated that during the summer break, the elected officers were already thinking of possible solutions for the lack of Sanggunian members.
“All that we know is, we would really need a spokesperson so that it’s not confusing for the administration. It’s a general agreement that we needed the position,” Leong said in a mix of English and Filipino.
According to 3rd Year JGSOM CB Representative Marc Duque, “The CB liaison position was created because there were [certain rights of a student] that should continue, [rights that are] stipulated in the Magna Carta of Student Rights.”
“Whether or not there are elected positions for the Sanggunian, the Magna Carta—which is a higher document than the Constitution—states that students have the right to be represented, for example, in the school forum and school council,” he added.
Duque said that the Sanggunian must continue to perform their responsibilities, despite the vacancies in the Top 4 positions as well as other positions in the Top 55.
Compromise
All three CB members were in agreement that the CB liaison position is not a permanent solution to having several vacant Sanggunian seats.
“If people are going to ask us what we should do if there is no president, vice president, and Top 4, this is not our answer. It’s just a temporary step,” Duque stated.
Meanwhile, Mendoza conceded that this was the only solution they could think of that was within the means and powers of the Sanggunian.
“Personally, hindi talaga. I don’t think na puwede na [itong solusyon], kahit na walang president [at] vice president, [pero] ito nalang kasi naisip namin (Personally, I don’t think that this [solution] is enough, even if there is no president [and] vice president, but this is the only thing we could think of),” he said.
On the other hand, Leong admitted that without the Top 4, the Sanggunian cannot fully function because the CB can only perform basic services.
However, she added in a mix of English and Filipino, “It seems efficient [to have a CB liaison]. This is a trial period, since this is the first time that we’ve had a CB liaison. So far, it’s working.”
