CATCH2T25 Batch Legislator Sebastian Diaz was elected chief legislator of the Legislative Assembly last Wednesday, January 25, at the University Student Government (USG) Session Hall alongside new leaders of the majority and minority floors.
Diaz, lone nominee for the position, was elected with 15-0-9 votes, as presided over by USG President Alex Brotonel.
Diaz said he will push for a decentralized USG by allowing the College Legislative Boards to act on policies for their respective colleges and batches instead of operating primarily on a University-wide level. He also promised better transparency through mandating detailed term-end reports for USG units.
Abstainers in the chief legislator voting composed the new minority floor while those who voted for Diaz made up the majority.
EXCEL2024 Batch Legislator Mikee Gadiana was the lone nominee for minority floor leader. She was voted into the position, 8-0-0. Gadiana plans to review anti-red tagging policies, the Student Services Manual, and the implementation of the Safe Spaces Act.
On the other hand, lone nominee 75th ENG Batch Legislator Raphaela Tan was elected majority floor leader with 15-0-0.
Some of the plans presented in Tan’s speech include ensuring that various sectors are well-represented, passing a protection bill to protect campus journalists from red-tagging and censorship, and ratifying legislation that would help ensure that the University is inclusive to persons with disability.
