In their last session for the year, the Legislative Assembly (LA) approved last December 19 their previously tabled resolutions for amendments to the University Student Government (USG) Constitution, the establishment of the Disaster Risk and Reduction Management (DRRM) emergency fund, and a resolution that called for changes to the DLSU Commission on Elections (Comelec) Rules of Court.
Charter changes, new emergency fund
After over a month of deliberations, the LA had finally finished adding changes to the USG Constitution. Following the approval of a resolution last week that requires the use of gender-neutral terms, legislators had also made revisions to pronouns used in the charter.
An amendment was also made to the Judiciary Act to include a Deputy Chief Magistrate position, as well as the inclusion of two subsections that covered the LA Journal and the Office of the Chief Legislator.
Moreover, adjustments were made to the Ombudsman Act, as per the suggestion of the Judiciary Department. Appointed officers must have three terms remaining in the University, and they must not be a member of any political party or Student Media Organization. It was also added that the Ombudsman may be removed from office if they are found to have violated the Constitution.
The LA had also approved a resolution establishing a DRRM fund. After consulting the USG Executive Committee, representatives agreed that the DRRM funds shall follow an open percentage scheme. Allocations shall be determined by the USG, Office of Student Affairs, and Center for Social Concern and Action during times of emergency.
Preparation for online elections
In anticipation of the upcoming online elections, Laguna Campus Student Government LA Representative Michele Gelvoleo presented a new resolution focusing on amendments to the DLSU Comelec Rules of Court. Students are now allowed to file their electoral complaints online.
Furthermore, the time count rules were also specified. Previously, the time for filing and reviewing electoral complaints was reserved for school days. However, the new revisions allowed the proceedings to continue during seasonal breaks, with the days, aside from weekends, still counting in the 48-hour count of filing electoral complaints and the 16-hour count of filing a response.
A “No Judgement” ruling was added for situations wherein the filed complaints are deemed outside the jurisdiction of DLSU Comelec; these cases would be transferred to the USG Judiciary Department.
DLSU Comelec Chairperson John Christian Ababan explained that these minor amendments were added to factor in the circumstances of the online elections and the upcoming Christmas break.
