TWENTY-TWO ARTLETS formalized their bids in this year’s Faculty of Arts and Letters Student Council (ABSC) elections after filing their certificates of candidacy on March 27.
Independent candidates and bets from political parties Dekada, Grand Alliance for Progress (GAP), and Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UST (STAND-UST) composed the preliminary list of aspiring ABSC officers.
Students’ Democratic Party (SDP) was barred from participating in this year’s polls after failing to comply with the requirements for party accreditation.
Eyeing the presidency are former ABSC auditor Brian Earl Leshen (Dekada), former The Political Science (PolSci) Forum vice president Reymark Simbulan (GAP), former SDP standard bearer Samantha Makayan (Independent), and League of Filipino Students-UST vice chairperson Rochel Ellen Bernido (STAND-UST).
Former ABSC public relations officer (PRO) Jan Krianne Pineda (Dekada), former Communication Arts (CA) Students’ Association vice president for external affairs Michael Olivier Simpao (GAP), and Asian Studies junior Jancisko Valera (Independent) will vie for the position of vice president for external affairs.
Running for the position of vice president for internal affairs are CA junior Lawrence Adrian Gutierrez (Dekada), Legal Management (LegMa) junior Daverick Angelito Pacumio (GAP), and CA junior Daniela Angela Frigillana (Independent).
Competing for the position of secretary are CA junior John Pauleen Balbadores (Dekada), Economics sophomore Janina Louise Catap (GAP), and LegMa junior Maria Ann San Andres (Independent).
CA junior Peniel Grace Esguerra (Dekada), Literature sophomore Nazarene Centina Cammayo (GAP), and LegMa sophomore Rafael Enrico Arellano (Independent) will battle for the position of treasurer. Vying for the position of auditor are LegMa sophomore Rodrich Rey Rebollos (Dekada), CA junior Reziah Angelica Famorcan (GAP), and PolSci freshman Jan Rafael Lipat (Independent).Journalism junior Airei Kim Guanga (Dekada), CA junior Wrexler Reiven Bayani (GAP), and Economics sophomore Ia Marie Valdezotto (Independent) will contend for the position of PRO.
STAND-UST did not field candidates for other positions.The deadline for the submission of deficiencies will be on March 29.
The AB Commission on Elections will release the official list of eligible candidates on March 30.The campaign period will be from April 3 to 8. F VANN MARLO M. VILLEGAS with reports from MARIA EDEN T. DINO
