IN PERSPECTIVE

Sept. 30: Jay Bagcal, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy Student Council (CSSPSC) Chair, texted the council that he will be submitting the proposal for the Codified Rules for Student Regent Selection (CRSRS) in his “personal capacity,” albeit not preempting student consultations and GA deliberations after the submission. 11 other council members expressed their intent to co-author the proposal.

Oct. 7: The CSSPSC deliberated on the submitted amendments and made them an official council act. In protest, Councilor Peter Sengson, Sociology Rep. Kei Garcia, and Linguistics Rep. Casey Giron walked out of the GA.

Oct.12: Student Regent Charise Banez said the proposed amendments were invalid because it was not an official act of the council but a proposal submitted by Bagcal in his “personal capacity.”

Oct. 23: The CSSPSC filed a motion for reconsideration at the Office of the Student Regent. The appeal was still denied because the submission of the proposal was made an official act after the Oct. 1 deadline.

Oct. 14: Sengson, Garcia and Giron filed an impeachment complaint against Bagcal on the basis of grave abuse of authority by submitting proposals that were not consulted among the students and not deliberated upon in a GA.

Oct. 21: A closed-door trial was held to decide on the petition. Bagcal was acquitted by 13 of 16 council members with voting rights.

Jan. 6: A petition from concerned CSSP students in coordination with Saligan sa CSSP circulated in the college, calling for an open-door trial of Bagcal, this time with the co-authors Vice-Chair Sasa de Vega, Councilors Ian Cortez, Gil Turingan, Oyie Javelosa, Mai Salanguit, Rax Lambino, Geography Rep. Robert Badrina, History Rep. Maricar Verano, Philosophy Rep. Steph Magsumbol, and Psychology Representatives Dom Ramirez and Paula Parungao for gross violation of the constitution.

Jan. 8: Signed by 272 CSSP students, the petition was filed at the Executive Coordinating Council (ECC). Minutes earlier, Education Committee Head Turingan filed a petition to suspend Sengson for dereliction of duty. The 12 council members who supported the proposal were immediately excused from their duties.

Jan. 11: The CSSPSC has been reduced to seven members: Councilors Louie Camino (Officer in Charge), Anjo David, Elliz Rances, CSSP Rep. Tin Borja, Anthropology Rep. Josh San Pedro, Garcia and Giron, with all members except Sengson included in the ECC. Citing family and financial reasons for missing out on committee meetings, Sengson appealed to reduce his suspension to a week, as per the CSSPSC constitution. The ECC ruled that the complaint filed against Sengson was valid, thus suspending him for 22.5 days.

Jan. 20: A convocation was held to allow students to ask council members about the issue.

Jan. 22: The 12 council members were reinstated in their positions.

Jan. 29: Turingan told SINAG the surveys conducted for the CRSRS amendments were being encoded. While Garcia said she had never received any survery, Turingan said the survey for the sociology department was conducted by the VolCorps to respect Garcia’s dissent. ▪


Article by: Alexandra Francisco