EXPLAINER: How CSC election campaigns will take place this year

THE CAMPAIGN period for this year’s Central Student Council’s (CSC) Executive Board elections is split into two: from March 5 to 17 and from March 30 to April 1.

Candidates are allowed to campaign only on online platforms as face-to-face University engagements remain limited.

The UST Central Commission on Elections (Comelec) on March 5 released a resolution specifying the rules on online campaigns for the upcoming UST Halalan 2022. Below are some of the highlights of the resolution.

Campaign dates

• “Active campaign periods” will be from March 5 to 17 and March 30 to April 1 only from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Beyond the said time, a “non-active campaign period” is imposed, meaning no campaign materials may be posted.
• Another non-active campaign period will start from midnight of March 17 to 7:59 a.m. of March 30 to give way to the moratorium and examination period.
• During the campaign period, candidates may be promoted for or against by groups of persons through online political assemblies, speeches, announcements, commentaries, interviews, publishing or distribution of campaign materials and direct or indirect solicitation of votes, pledges and support. 
• The “no-campaign period” will commence on April 2, during which any form of a campaign by a party or a candidate is strictly prohibited.
• The Central Comelec will conduct the mandatory debates on April 2.

Online campaigns

• All candidates must inform the Central Comelec through a provided Google Sheet of the URLs of the web pages where they will be campaigning online. Noncompliance would result in penalties.
• Campaign materials are any published materials, 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. Publishing of such before and after the set campaign period will be meted with penalties.
• Only posters, infographics and videos are allowed formats of campaign materials. All will be subject to the approval of the Central Comelec.
• Candidates must submit to the Central Comelec their campaign materials before posting them online through the Google Drive that will be provided. The period of checking will be on school days from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the Comelec given at least 12 working hours to review the materials.
• Independent candidates cannot use the same, similar or distinctively similar colors for their campaign materials. They also cannot appear together by name, picture, or any such reference.
• There are no required dimensions for campaign posters, but they should not contain harmful, obscene and other graphics that do not adhere to the University rules. 
• Pre-recorded campaign videos are limited to a maximum of five minutes for independent candidates.
• 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.
• All materials that will be posted must use the official hashtag of the campaign period set by Comelec (#USTHalalan2022) and must be posted only on Facebook and Twitter. All must be removed the day before the election.
• Each independent candidate is allowed to have only one campaign manager 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, their acts are considered the acts of the party or the independent candidate they represent.

Other 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 during the whole election period. Candidates may not 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 gather audiences and hold live sessions through online means such as but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Google Meet without approval from the Comelec. 
• Independent candidates are prohibited from commingling funds with one another and preparing or helping prepare campaign materials, official documents, plans, reports, and others for one another.

Incumbent SC officers

• Incumbent student council officers are prohibited 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 either be suspended or prohibited from campaigning for several hours, one or more days until the end of the campaign as determined by the Central Comelec. If the second offense is done on the last day of the campaign, the penalty will be the one for third-time offenses.
• 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.