#UPLBElections2015 | No MOVE UP this year in USC polls

Marcaida-Zuñiga vs Celestial-Tetangco in top USC positions

By GUIEN GARMA

[UPDATED: 11:51am, March 29] After a two-year no-win streak in the University Student Council (USC) elections, the Movement of Students for Progressive Leadership in UP (MOVE UP) is not fielding any candidate for the USC polls this year, UPLB Perspective has learned.

The Central Electoral Board (CEB) deliberated on Friday the approval of candidates for the University and college student council elections.

While nobody from MOVE UP filed for candidacy in any position in the USC, the college parties under their umbrella, LETS-CDC and KATIPUNAN-CHE, have a slate for the student council polls in the College of Development Communication and College of Human Ecology, respectively.

The last time MOVE UP grabbed positions in the USC was in 2012. Jereneal Hipolito and Katherine Louise Miller won as councilors. Miller ran but lost for the vice-chairmanship in 2014.

As of this writing, the Perspective is still trying to get statements from Ruevin Serrano and Von Carlo Yacob, the chairperson and vice-chairperson, respectively, of the political party.

However, in a Facebook status posted on Saturday night, Yacob said that a political movement’s success is not dependent on garnering seats in student councils.

“Hindi magiging basehan ang pagkapanalo sa konseho para sabihing matagumpay ang isang (politikal o mas higit pa sa politikal na) samahan. Ang pag-asam ng tagumpay ay araw-araw na proseso. Araw-araw dapat tayong naga-asam ng pagbabago,” he said.

Standard bearers

Meanwhile, the CEB has approved the candidacies of Romina Marcaida and Yvann Zuñiga, the standard bearers of Samahan ng Kabataan Para sa Bayan (SAKBAYAN), and Ronald Gem Celestial and Miguel Tetangco, standard bearers of Buklod-UPLB.

Marcaida and Zuñiga are incumbent councilors at the present USC. Celestial served as a councilor during academic year 2013-2014.

WATCH: Romina Marcaida’s and Yvann Zuñiga’s interviews in #UPLBElections2014

Surprisingly, Tetangco, who is an incumbent councilor, jumped ship. He ran under SAKBAYAN’s slate last election. This year, he is running under Buklod.

WATCH: Miguel Tetangco’s interview in #UPLBElections2014

The Board has also approved the candidates for the college polls.

Notable in this year’s college polls is the entry of Buklod-UPLB in the College of Human Ecology elections. In recent years, CHE has been a two-party territory, with SAKBAYAN and MOVE UP-backed KATIPUNAN vying for the positions in the CHE student council.

Withdrawal, switching of positions

The Board also received letters from two college council candidates.

Tiffany Candelaria, a candidate for the college polls at the College of Economics and Management (CEM), withdrew her candidacy.

In a letter sent to the Central Electoral Board, a copy of which the Perspective was furnished, Candelaria said that while she desires to run for office, “upon my realization, my family and I realized that I might find it difficult to balance my priorities which might affect my academics.”