POLITICAL SCIENCE FRESHMAN Courtney Allaine Acuña stands unopposed as the lone independent candidate in the 2025 First-Year Representative Elections after San Bigkis Party (SBP), the only accredited political party, failed to secure its candidate’s spot in the upcoming student body polls.
This comes after SBP failed to secure its contender’s certificate of candidacy (CoC) that took place from September 2 to 4. Its petition for reconsideration was denied by the San Beda Electoral Board’s (ELBO) final adjudicatory panel on September 17, leaving Acuña as the only contender for the first-year position in an earlier resolution on September 9.
ELBO finalizes first-year candidate list
SBP’s case hinged on its submission of an endorsement letter in place of the required nomination form.
ELBO Vice-Chairperson Faisal Armano, who penned the final ruling, explained that a nomination form commits a party to a candidate’s campaign and platform. At the same time, an endorsement letter is only a “general expression of support.”
The panel also identified several issues with SBP’s filing, including the candidate’s missing signature on the acceptance letter, an unsigned certificate of registration, and unclear resignation letters due to the absence of proper identification.
While the good moral certificate was accepted as sufficient proof in place of the new non-probationary certificate, the absence of the other documents ultimately disqualified the party’s candidate.
According to Armano, ELBO’s process began with a preliminary review of all candidates’ submissions around September 6 to 7. Independent candidate Courtney Allaine Acuña was deemed compliant, while SBP’s candidate, Zandria Dognidon, was initially denied.
A notice of denial was then sent to SBP, followed by the posting of the official list of qualified candidates containing only Acuña.
SBP later filed a petition for reconsideration, which the Preliminary Adjudication Panel denied, before elevating the case to the Final Adjudication Panel which also affirmed the earlier ruling.
He stressed that the decision was guided by principles of integrity and credibility under the Omnibus Election Code (OEC), adding that procedural lapses that compromise electoral justice “cannot be overlooked.”
Lone candidate amid SBP setback
In an interview with The Bedan, SBP Chairperson John Francis Gangcuango acknowledged the party’s shortcomings, admitting the organization is “still adjusting to the new Code.”
“One of the first steps that we had to take was to really read and understand the new Omnibus Election Code,” he said.
He also argued that the Board should “apply the rules more liberally,” emphasizing that elections should primarily ensure student participation and the absence of competition “diminishes the spirit of elections” as it lacks plurality.”
“While there is only one sole candidate, we believe that the San Bigkis Party still believes that in an election, there should always be plurality,” he said.
“That’s why the Electoral Board should somehow be more liberal in implementing their rules and regulations, since I believe the election, the whole purpose of the election is for the electorate to participate.”
Reflecting on her experience as the only remaining candidate, first-year representative aspirant Acuña shared that the election process differed greatly from her previous school.
“San Beda’s election process is very different from what I’ve experienced in the past at my previous school. Everything is new, and I’m still learning and adapting,” she said.
Despite having initial doubts about running independently, she nonetheless pursued her candidacy it in the belief that elections are “not about affiliation but about service.”
“Being independent did give me a moment of hesitation. It was intimidating. But my desire to serve outweighed the doubts, because this is not about affiliation, it’s about service,” said Acuna.
The campaign period will run from September 30 to October 9, with elections happening on October 10.