PLM SSC bets aim for transparency, accountability in Harapan 2025

In what should have been an opportunity for voters to know their future leaders’ beliefs and plans better, this year’s PLM Supreme Student Council (SSC) bets “resorted to circular reasoning,” “linking platforms to unrelated questions,” and “providing few concrete measures”—relying instead on a general call for two familiar words: transparency and accountability.

Candidates for the highest duly constituted student government of the university presented their platforms in Harapan 2025 and answered questions that tested their principles on university-wide and student council-related issues like bullying and loss of trust, April 15. 

Presidential bet Madielyn Retiro (ALAB Pamantasan) believes that a reform with the constitution and bylaws to give students the right to file a complaint for impeachment of executive officers would address the recent incidents of bullying within the council. 

Another hopeful for the top post, Edwin Joseph Espinas (Ang Partidong Tugon) aims for a reform in the student council’s system like internal rules and regulations, committee and decorum investigations to hold persons in position accountable, as well as to ensure that their actions align with the students’ needs. 

In their Harapan, a segment that allows opposing candidates to question one another, Retiro asked Espinas to characterize their stance as a political party and their position in the political spectrum, citing the recent withholding issues faced by Tugon and its alignment with university policies that favor administrative priorities over grassroots student concerns.

“I characterize myself as someone that is objective. The reason as to why we consult everyone because we are part of an institution na hindi lang mga estudyante ang nandirito. Mayroon tayong mga faculty, professors, employees, and even administrators … We need to be able to hear from all sides in order to come up with a compromise, consensus ika nga na kung saan magiging workable and fixable for everyone,” Espinas responded. 

The Tugon presidential bet, meanwhile, challenged Retiro to detail her plans for revising the constitution and bylaws and questioned how she could ensure its completion within her term.

“Actually nagawa na ito sa CHASS Student Council, nagagawa at nagagawa ito. Lagi tayong babalik kung sa nagawa na ba natin ito. Kami, nagawa na ito. Ang hakbang na ginagawa natin ay ibababa natin ang rebisyon sa masang estudyante para makita nila dahil tayo ay konsultatibo, at progresibo kaya kasama kayo sa pagbabago,” ALAB Pamantasan standard bearer stated. 

On the other hand, aspirants for the vice presidency had a check on each other’s campaign activities and scrutinized their opponent’s past accomplishments. 

Shania Reine Reyes (ALAB Pamantasan) highlighted her role in the investigation of the misconduct within the SSC officers as an internal affairs chairperson. Independent candidate Justine Jhon Pagayunan, meanwhile, expressed his willingness to use the platform to reach out to different students from different colleges and cited open communication as an important aspect of resolving conflicts. 

Hopefuls for treasurer and auditor from Tugon, Mark Anthony Bag-id and Denniel Romel Cabrera, respectively, shared their plans to ensure a transparent auditing process and participatory budgeting system like PLM INFOCentral, PLM aSSCountAbility Hub, and Kwenta Kuwenta. No one ran for the positions of secretary and public relations officer. 

Adjudicators from the PLM Speech and Debate Society (SPADES) raised concern about the candidates’ answers that did not directly address the questions, connecting platforms to unrelated queries, and resorting to circular reasoning.

“It's been years we're talking about transparency, we're talking about being accountable pero in what way? What specific measure? Iyon yung gusto naming malaman kasi as adjudicators we are the representation of the students so parang sinasabi namin kung ano yung gusto marinig ng estudyante and personally yun yung inaabangan namin kanina sa inyo,” one of the adjudicators said.

PLMayers are set to vote on April 21 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The e-ballots can be accessed in their cluster precincts or channels in Microsoft Teams.