EXPLAINER: How CSC election campaigns will take place amid pandemic

THE CAMPAIGN period for this year’s Central Student Council’s (CSC) Executive Board elections will start on Saturday, April 24, and last until May 8.

Since face-to-face classes have been prohibited for over a year now, candidates can only campaign using online platforms. 

The UST Central Commission on Elections (Comelec) on April 21 released a resolution that contains rules on online campaigns for the upcoming student polls.

Here are some highlights of the resolution:

Campaign dates

• All election campaigns and partisan political activities are allowed only from April 24 to May 8.
• Anything before or beyond that shall be penalized by the Central Comelec.
• During the period, candidates may be promoted for or against by groups of persons through political assemblies, speeches, announcements, commentaries, interviews, publishing or distribution of campaign materials and direct or indirect solicitation of votes, pledges and support. 
• The Central Comelec will conduct the “Tagisan” (mandatory debates) on April 30. 
• The “no-campaign period” will commence on May 9, during which any form of a campaign by a party or a candidate is strictly prohibited.

Online campaigns

• All candidates must inform the Central Comelec of the URLs of the web pages where they will be campaigning online. 
• The publication of any material, even without the word “vote,” containing the name of a candidate or any name, symbol, sign, phrase or word for which a candidate is known, will be considered as campaign materials. Publishing of such before and after the set campaign period will be meted with penalties.
• All election paraphernalia should not be used or distributed outside the areas allowed by the University and the Central Comelec and beyond the campaign period.
• Only posters, infographics and videos are allowed formats of campaign materials. All will be subject to the supervision and approval of the Central Comelec.
• Materials should not be harmful and obscene and must adhere to University rules.
• Pre-recorded campaign videos may be posted with a maximum of five minutes for independent candidates.
• All materials that will be posted must use the official hashtag of the campaign period set by Comelec (#USTHalalan2021) and must be posted only on Facebook and Twitter. All must be removed the day before the election.
• Every independent candidate is allowed to have a minimum of one and a maximum of three campaign managers who shall act on the candidate’s behalf and communicate with the Central Comelec for campaign requirements. No candidates are allowed to have the same campaign manager.
• Campaign managers are agents of a particular political party or independent candidate, therefore his/her acts are considered the acts of the party or the independent candidate that he/she represents.

Other campaign prohibitions

Election candidates

• Candidates cannot seek direct or indirect help from any person or group not enrolled in the University (except UST alumni) or any unrecognized organizations by the University.
• No candidates are allowed to directly or indirectly solicit support from any administrator, faculty member and non-academic staff. They cannot join, enter, campaign and cause commotions that disturb classes.
• The direct or indirect use of CSC or any Local Student Council (LSC) funds for any election campaign or partisan political activity is strictly prohibited.
• Hampering the distribution of lawful election materials within the campaign period and producing any material urging voters to vote against a particular candidate is interdicted.
• Candidates cannot conduct live sessions and gather audiences through online means (Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Google Meet, etc.) without approval from Comelec. 

• Independent candidates cannot use distinctively similar campaign materials, including their colors, and appear together by name, picture or any such reference in any electronic medium or material (posters, leaflets, tarpaulins, sample ballots, etc.).
• Candidates are prohibited from comingling funds with one another and preparing or helping prepare campaign materials, official documents, plans, reports, and others for one another.

Incumbent student council officers

• Officers are banned from using the powers of their offices to campaign for any candidate, including themselves, and using the resources of the student government (funds, bulletin boards, council rooms, office supplies, etc.) in doing so.
• Student council officers may not grant special privileges to or deprive any student of any service they provide in the course of their duties for the student’s affiliation with any political party.

Penalties for offenses

• First-offense violators of the provisions will be given stern warnings.
• Second-time violators will be penalized with a suspension or prohibition of the right to campaign for several hours, one or more days until the end of the campaign as determined by the Central Comelec.
• Temporary or permanent disqualification from the office will be imposed on  third-time offenders, depending on the recommendation of Comelec as sanctioned by the Student Handbook.