THE ATENEO Commission on Elections (COMELEC) released the official list of candidates for the 2016 Sanggunian General Elections online in a memo on Saturday, September 17.

The release of the official list of candidates was delayed, as COMELEC was awaiting the clearance from the Office of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (ADAA) regarding the academic standings of the candidates. Article V of the Electoral Code states that candidates must not be subject to academic probation.

The ADAA was unable to respond in time as the officer handling academic probations was on sick leave.

The official list only contained the official upperclassman candidates, as ADAA has yet to forward the clearance for the different aspiring freshman candidates.

COMELEC also released more information on the different candidates and their platforms, and announced that details regarding the Miting de Avance and the 2016 General Elections Debate will be released soon.

Two parties, 43 candidates

Out of all 43 candidates for all positions, 21 of which are independent, seven are from the Union of Students for the Advancement of Democracy (USAD), formerly known as the Christian Union for Socialist and Democratic Advancement (CRUSADA), while 15 are from the Ignatian Initiative for Transformative Empowerment (IgnITE).

Ma. Carmela M. Vinzon (4 BS LfSci) is the lone independent candidate for President, while independent candidate Miguel Franco Ignacio M. Hamoy (4 AB EC), Camille Joy L. Leong (4 BSM AMF) from USAD, and Franco Dominic Quilatan (4 AB PH) from IgnITE are all running for Vice President.