White and Blue is the Official Student Publication Saint Louis University, Baguio City, Philippines with editorial office at Rm. 06 Student Center, Saint Louis University

The petitions of the new president of Saint Louis University’s student government to have a recount of votes from the College of Nursing (CON) will have no answers unless the Congress of Louisians re-establishes the abolished Student Court.

The court, known as the judicial body of the Kataastaasang Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral / Supreme Student Council (KASAMA/SSC), is a body where “a party may appeal… on grounds of grave abuse of discretion on the part of the Central COMELEC and/or questions of law,” according to Article 1, Section 5 of KASAMA/SSC’s By-Laws.

After having been denied by the Central COMELEC with his call for a recount of CON votes due to a ‘confusing’ election process, Jonathan Bosantog, KASAMA/SSC’s new president, is now aiming to put up the Student Court which can “declare with finality” the decision on his pending request for a recount or a possibility for re-elections.

No one sits

RIGHTS party’s Bosantog said that the jumbling of names and positions in the list of candidates during the September 20 Elections was questionable. The two positions affected were ‘Secretary for Public Relations’ and ‘Secretary for Audit’.

Though COMELEC already invalidated the votes whose candidates did not match the positions they were vying for (stray votes), Bosantog, in defense of his party-mates, still called for COMELEC to hold the declaration of winners for the said positions until the Student Court is re-established.

“I ask the Office of Audit and Public Relations to be vacated unless the Student Court will be made,” he said.

As aid positions from the rival party, REPORMA-ACS, disagreed with Bosantog, saying “stray votes are invalid votes.”

Too late

As of September 27, COMELEC has no final decisions yet if they will declare REPORMA-ACS’ candidates as winners of the said positions even though there is a pending complaint.

The new KASAMA/SSC President stressed that “we could form it (Student Court) this year.” The Congress of Louisians did not prioritize the creation of the Student Court the previous years.”

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