Precious Grace Nery 
University Student Council Elections for Academic Year 2022-2023 conducted on Tuesday, September 27, revolved around mantras that aimed for a similar goal but only one reigned. DASIG Presidential candidate Christine Calley stood strong against Dave Prudenciado of MALAYA by a landslide victory, 1,542-790, in the tentative results posted by Samar State University Commission on Elections, the next day, September 28.
Tradesmen appointed Calley as the new USC President securing 376 votes from the College of Education, 381 votes from the College of Engineering, 336 votes from the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, 231 votes from the College of Arts and Sciences, and 218 votes from the College of Industrial Technology.
Meanwhile Prudenciado garnered 790 votes: 276 from CoEd, 61 from CoEng’g, 55 from CoNHS, 177 from CAS, and 221 from CIT.
Candidates of the second-highest position, DASIG’s Jason Dela Peña and MALAYA’s Rasie Gasalatan faced each other with a neck and neck battle, favoring Dela Peña with only a 61-vote lead: 1,192-1,131.
DASIG claimed both CoNHS and CoEng’g respectively as all their candidates won as department representatives: Kyla Jabinal, Leila Mari Babalcon, Debbie Dawn Costo, Russel Roque Cinco, and Eldiover Igdalino; Chad Vincent Florentino, John Michael Boloc, Nikko Ibañez, Nathaniel Llano, and Florenz Nacional.
MALAYA representatives also asserted dominance as they bagged the majority of the votes from three departments: CoEd, CAS, and CIT.
Mariel Correche, Mel Rian Almojeno, Gideon Mabubay, Alvin Corralijo, and Reymart Labhanan got hold of the CoEd representative position, as well as Cerella Diocton, Jan Andrei Siasat, Jincent Mercado, Anthony Solon, and Rodrigo Kalaw for CAS. Jhon Kherby Bacsal, Ariane Mae Cabangunay, Rachel Stephane Peroso, Joshua Cabutin, and Mark Noel Daras were elected as CIT representatives.
Results are still tentative as Article XI, Section 7 of the USC Constitution and By-Laws states that any bona fide SSU student can submit a complaint against any tentative winner if they do not meet the qualifications set out in Article VII of the SSC USC Constitution and By-Laws or if they concealed that information from COMELEC at the time of the election.
The protest period started on September 28 at 7:30 PM and will end on September 29 at 1:00 PM.
