As the Commission on Election (COMELEC) prepares for the upcoming Ateneo de Naga University- Supreme Student Government (AdNU-SSG) General Election on 25 August 2010, COMELEC looks forward to seeing 6241 Ateneans at various precincts, exercising their rights of suffrage.
In contrary to what was expected in aforementioned elections, COMELEC anticipated 4 political parties and more or less 5000 voters. When the student populace ballooned to 6241 and parties reduced to two, COMELEC plans pre-election campaign through students’ thumb marks. Through this, determination of the total number of predicted voters will be at hand. Signing up means that students are willing to vote for change.
Despite a remarkable delay, Commission on Election (COMELEC) still pursues its goal for a just and clean 2010 Ateneo de Naga University-Supreme Student Government (AdNU-SSG) General Elections on 25 August.
BEYOND LIMITATIONS
COMELEC spearheaded different election-related activities to promote and fulfill their vision, to lessen the apathy of Ateneans when it comes to local and university-wide issues.
In this year’s election, COMELEC had already geared up with needed voting requirements, except for the printed ballot yet to be printed on Saturday.
Bearing the main function of COMELEC - to conduct, facilitate and declare the results of electoral proceedings - the agency asked for the full participation of students, through different promotional activities, announcements on the bulletin boards and Public Address System, to make the affair a successful one.
A NEW LEGACY
When the 2009-2010 Former COMELEC Chairperson Mary Grace Ortiz appointed Montemayor to lead COMELEC, the latter, according to him, saw the fading reputation of SSG. He furthered that he didn’t even know the real status of supposedly-be-conducted suffrage last Academic Year 2009-2010, whether it was a postponement or a failure of election.
With 60 members, including the Chairperson, Vice-Chair, five Commissioners, student volunteers and their Moderator, Mr. Ramon Beleno III, COMELEC got P42905 from SSG to be used in accomplishing the manual election.
Logistics, Secretariat, Budget Committee and Promotions are the four major division of COMELEC. They are assured that preparedness and organization seemed to be on their hands, considering the early venue reservations for the scheduled events.
Room to Room campaign which started from 11 August until the Moratorium on 24 July, execution of political rallies last 16 August , Presidential Debate that was carried out last 17 August, Grand Rally on 18 August were few of the happenings arranged by COMELEC to make the students aware of the political parties and their platform of government.
FOR SERVICE AT ITS BEST
Being the sole responsible for the upcoming election, COMELEC based its decision with the created 2005 Revised Election Code of Student Congress and votation [majority wins] on certain problems.
However, COMELEC has already been at the center stage of difficulty since the accreditation of political parties, SIGWA and with a decision from Student Tribunal on AKLAS’ qualification of candidacy.
In contrary to what was expected in aforementioned elections, COMELEC anticipated 4 political parties and 5000 voters. When the student populace ballooned to 6241 and parties reduced to two, COMELEC plans pre-election campaign through students’ thumb marks. Through this, determination of the total number of expected voters will be at hand, requiring thorough effort and money. Signing up means that students are willing to vote for change.
According to Montemayor, their fund was expensed on communication letters, memos to offices, advertisements, supplies, food and P2000 for each political party.
The Office of Student Affairs was in-charge in checking of the campaign materials and the places where they were posted before the end of campaign period. Meanwhile, student volunteers will be placed on precincts to assist the process.
The casting of votes on 25 August, from 7:30am up to 6:00pm, has been segregated to particular school areas. Extension in terms of voting hours is allowed by law if the voters’ line covers 30 meters from the precinct.
Every college has their own specific precinct. College of Business and Accountancy will occupy Burns Hall, 1st and 2nd floors for Department of Business Administration and Accountancy as separated. The Engineering building is for all Engineering students. Nursing students can exercise their right to vote at the Santos Hall while Arrupe Hall is for the College of Arts and Sciences. The precinct of Education is sited at Dolan Hall and Phelan Hall designated for the Computer students.
As soon as the final votes were shed off, the 7 COMELEC members will render the canvassing of votes at Xavier Hall from 7:30pm until past 1:00am, as approximated.
Subsequently, oath-taking of newly-elected SSG officers will happen on 31 August with Montemayor as the presider.
TROUBLE AND SHOOTING
In spite of these accomplished tasks, COMELEC was still faced with external and internal problems.
When queried about the crisis confronting COMELEC, Commissioner Jovilet Gratuito said that they are having trouble in being all present in a meeting that was called. She clarified that out of eight gatherings; only two of them were recorded with perfect attendance.
“Para sako na baguhan, kaipuhan talagang mag-adjust. Namamate ko na pati an kapagalan. Kay asana naaapod ko na ining Consumisyun on Election (CONELEC). Mas dakula talaga kuta an maitatabang kang trainings o seminars. Pero syempre, after all, dapat magampanan pa man an samuyang obligasyon para matapos na,” Gratuito supplemented.
On one hand, Montemayor shared those holidays, incorrect adherence to the election code about the days of room-to-room campaign which was written as 5 days in lieu of 8, and issues concerning AKLAS Party caused the election delay.Supposedly, Student Congress set the original Election Day on July 15 and was moved to 18 August, but due to time constraints and lacking preparations prior to the election, it was finally rescheduled on 25 August.
“Sa laog, si internal system mismo an may problema. Dae man kami kulang sa tao, kaso kaipuhan pa nin little push. Wala kasing initiative an COMELEC. Election is really a hard thing to do,” COMELEC Chairperson Jerome Montemayor answered when asked about the weakness of his organization.
“But if in case problems arise during the Election Day, we will solve them immediately,” Gratuito indemnified.
PASSING THE BENCHMARK
As required of the Election Code, voter’s turnout must be 50% of the student population plus one which then put pressure to COMELEC, with Vice Chair Maria Corazon dela Rosa, Commissioners Ma. Christina Gumba, Jovilet Gratuito, Roxanne dela Rosa, Kaysie Consorte and May Borromeo.
“Pressure talaga. Kaya sana mag-take part gabos. Kung Atenista ka, maboto ka. Makiaram kita, maging keen, observant. Encourage others na mag-attend,” Montemayor ended as a message to all Ateneans.
