THE Bedistang Aktibong Naglilingkod (BEdAN) Party once again dominates the lineup of candidates for this year’s general elections. In a Facebook post last Feb. 21, the Bedan Electoral Committee (BELCOM) revealed the candidates for the upcoming Student Executive Council (SEC) general elections this school year. 

     BELCOM opened applications for candidacies  last Jan. 27 with an original deadline of Feb. 1 but was later extended to Feb. 8. 

     According to Jose Mari Aguidan (III-BSLM), BELCOM Public Relations Officer (PRO),  besides the requirements stipulated in the election code, “All applicants participated in interviews and screenings, assessed using pre-defined rubrics,” he said. 

All unopposed except for one

     Running as the sole candidate for the presidency, and the Bedistang Aktibong Naglilingkod (BEdAN) Party standard bearer, is Beatrice Charlice Talayaratne (II-BAIS) who is currently the SEC Auditor. Talayarante has been in the council for 2 consecutive years since she was elected as the 1st YearLevel Representative in 2023. 

     Niña Nichole Biscocho (III-BSE), the current External Vice President is running unopposed as she aims to secure the Internal Vice President position under the same party as Talayaratne. 

     With the only position having two candidates, Isabella Shane Talusan (II-BSP), current SEC Secretary, is running for External Vice President under the BEdAN Party, while Gabrielle Raines Calañgi (II-BSLM), who was recently appointed as the 2nd Year Level Representative, is running as an independent candidate. 

     As for the other positions, all of which are running under the BEDAN Party, Ichicko Natzumi Pedranga (II-BSE) is aiming to be the next SEC secretary while Akio Nino Paule (III-BSA) is seeking reelection as the council’s treasurer. Felicity Oliveros (I-BSLM), the current 1st Year Level Representative, is aiming for a higher position as a candidate for Auditor, while Zamir Sultan Bashi (I-BSBA-MM) is the sole candidate for the position ofPRO.  

     For the level representatives, Nathaniel Fernandez (III-BSE) is aspiring to be the next 4th Year’s Level Representative, and Mikha Ashley Dancel (I-BSBA-MM), also from the BEdAN Party, is running as the 2nd Year Level Representative. 

BELCOM retains rules

     In an interview with THE BEDAN HERALD, Aguidan explained that for the positions with vacancies, such as the 3rd Year Level Representative, which currently has no candidate, the BELCOM will hold a special election, similar to what happened last year.

     To be duly elected as the officers of the council, under Section 6 of BELCOM’s bylaws, a candidate is required to receive a 20% quota of the total tertiary school voting population to win the election. A candidate who fails to reach the required quota will not be elected.  

      Adopting the voting process from the previous election, this year’s general elections will be held via the Learning Management System (LMS). This decision by the electoral committee was based on last year’s electoral process, allowing easy access to voting among students of the college. “The streamlined online process will facilitate orderly voting and minimize the potential for errors,” Aguidan added. 

     When asked whether the incumbent SEC officers and candidates who are officers of any organization currently running have submitted their resignations, Aguidan explained that “Filing their candidacy automatically and irrevocably ends their current term.  This prevents conflicts of interest and ensures a fair election process.”