THE SULONG party dominated the 2026 UST Faculty Union (USTFU) election, winning all but the auditor position, the USTFU Central Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced on Thursday, April 30.
Incumbent USTFU president Asst. Prof. Emerito Gonzales secured another term after defeating FAIR party candidate Prof. Revenendo Vargas of the Institute of Religion.
Gonzales got 677 votes, while Vargas obtained 386. Eighteen ballots were declared void. The two candidates previously faced off in 2021, when Gonzales narrowly won the union presidency.
The party also emerged victorious in other key races, with Assoc. Prof. Rene Tadle winning the executive vice presidency with 635 votes over the Institute of Religion’s Asst. Prof. Ser Allan, who got 411 votes.
Unopposed candidates Asst. Prof. Maria Victoria Bongar of the College of Nursing and Philosophy Asst. Prof. John Vincent Ignacio were elected internal vice president (795 votes) and external vice president (763 votes), respectively.
In other races, Science instructor Jonathan Aganan won as the vice president for labor education and development with 599 votes over the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management’s Asst. Prof. James Mark Nidea, who obtained 427 votes.
The Legal Management department’s Asst. Prof. Danielito Jimenez was declared vice president for legal affairs after tallying 639 votes against Political Science Asst. Prof. Froilan Calilung, who secured 374.
In the race for vice president for grievance and complaints, lawyer Jennifer Lam-Saludo from the College of Commerce and Business Administration prevailed with 648 votes, besting History instructor Lee Mark Banaag, who got 368.
Senior Teacher Katherine Alonday of the Senior High School clinched the secretary general position with 646 votes, defeating Asst. Prof. Carol Encarnado of the Faculty of Engineering, who obtained 386 votes.
College of Commerce Assoc. Prof. Franklin Prieto won the treasurer post after running unopposed with 817 votes.
The FAIR party has only one post in an uncontested election.
UST Senior High School Prof. Maria Luisa Reyes garnered 723 votes, allowing her to join a faculty union roster dominated by a rival party.
Computer Science instructor Leonid Lintag was elected public relations officer with 637 votes, while Religion Asst. Prof. Ulysses Parado emerged victorious as sergeant at arms with 799. Both of them bagged the posts unchallenged.
All 10 director seats were also taken by Sulong candidates, further cementing the party’s hold on the union’s leadership for the upcoming term.
The winning faculty members are as follows: lone Artlets Asst. Prof. Marvin Zapanta (629 votes), Asst. Prof. Edilberto Gonzaga (615 votes), Asst. Prof. Rebecca Adri (604 votes), Junior Teacher Ed Paolo Aguinaldo (594 votes), Asst. Prof. Crisencio Paner (539 votes), Ruth Bangaoil, (519 votes), Adrian Romero (518 votes), Asst. Prof. Danilo Jr. Guinto (514 votes), Asst. Prof. Robinson Laxa (514 votes) and Elvis Llarena (511 votes).
The voting for the USTFU elections took place on April 25 for the Graduate School and Faculty of Civil Law, and on April 28 to 29 for the other academic units. The voting was held strictly onsite via manual ballots despite calls from both parties for a hybrid setup because of the oil crisis. F
