Recent University Student Government (USG) elections have been fraught with candidate shortages. For Special Elections (SE) 2025, only 13 of the 49 available positions were contested by any candidate, with only two having more than one aspirant. Meanwhile, General Elections (GE) 2025 saw 31 uncontested positions, while SE 2024 witnessed a virtual monopoly by Santugon sa Tawag ng Panahon (Santugon), which nonetheless fielded an incomplete slate of only 36 candidates.
GE 2025 thrust this apathy into the spotlight, as abstentions claimed several executive positions across all levels of the USG. Yet the indifference appears to extend beyond voter turnout to candidacy itself.
Being USG no longer looks appealing
Lasallians detached from USG politics are often uninterested in running for major positions. Dino* and Kiran*, first-year BS Legal Management students, share why they are unmotivated to have a go at student leadership.
Dino, who was previously approached by a political party, opted not to run, preferring to contribute through central committees and other non-elected capacities rather than in the student government. On the other hand, Kiran was dissuaded by the general reputation and perception of the USG, alongside organizational commitments that would disallow holding office.
“While I truly admire the officers who run in good faith and work hard to represent the student body despite limited support, it is difficult to overlook the frequent complaints [against their] work ethic [and] misinformed views of certain individuals in leadership,” Kiran says.
When asked what it would take for them to run for a position, Dino stated that nothing at present can convince them, reiterating that his efforts are better directed somewhere else. Kiran, meanwhile, would only consider running after a shift in the USG’s credibility, when being an officer becomes “more than just a title.”
“We would need to see a relationship where the student government is treated with enough respect to receive timely responses and genuine cooperation,” they add.
Both shared that if they were to run, aligning with either party would be out of the question. While they acknowledge the clear advantages of having a party, both individuals reject a party’s candidacy with their own reasons. For Dino, it was disillusionment after attending one of the party’s events. Kiran, alternatively, wanted to distance themselves from the burdens of the current parties, opting for an independent coalition that can “maintain my personal credibility while collaborating with like-minded individuals.”
Maintaining the party line
Alyansang Tapat sa Lasallista (Tapat)’s 40th Core President Zoe Dalupan explains that the supply of candidates never really ran out; however, the positions they secured are now perceived as “powerless.”
“The USG isn’t seen as the highest governing body, even if they constitutionally are. There is no scarcity in student leaders within DLSU because Lasallians are inherently inclined [to] it.” Dalupan explained.
Recognizing this lapse, Dalupan stresses that Tapat’s decision to field candidates is based on the potential candidate’s ability to push forward the interests of the student body. Through proper vetting aligned with the party’s standards, she believes that the party can help rebuild the community’s trust in the USG.
The LaSallian reached out to Santugon for its insights on the matter; however, no response has been given as of press time.
Independents solo responsibility
With running under a party appearing unattractive to voters, running independently seems to be the obvious option. However, candidacy and campaigning as an independent is a far more difficult task.
Independent GE 2025 contender Sebastian Araneta (III, AB-POM) shared that he was not fully aware of the extent of student apathy when he ran for FAST2023 batch legislator. “The election I ran in was the abstain wave. So prior to running, I would not have [known] how bad the apathy was…people are tired of what is currently offered, and [I thought] maybe there is space for an independent like me.”
Araneta chose to run independently to preserve his own ideas, explaining that he did not want to “run in a party that [might] edit [my] ideas down”. He also expressed concerns about endorsing party mates whose credibility he could not personally vouch for. “I would have to advocate ‘Hey, you should vote X for president’ but I don’t know that guy personally…worst of all, I don’t even know if he has skeletons under his closet.”
Similar sentiments were also shared by frosh candidate Jerard Benitez (I, BS-CHEM), who ran in SE 2025 for FOCUS2025 batch representative as an independent candidate. “Parties will demand [that] I vote or act against my conscience, and that I cannot abide by,” Benitez explained.
But the independent journey starts off rough. Araneta characterized the filing for candidacy as “very confusing” as it requires the accomplishment of countless forms and vaguely-worded documents. Benitez similarly describes the system as “skewed against newcomers” as the hefty paperwork and processes made successfully filing a candidacy independently a challenge.
Independent woes extended even during the election season. Having no access to a party’s resources, Araneta ran a solo campaign in GE 2025, which he funded, organized, and prepared on his own. He eventually overcame these challenges with the assistance of Santugon, which treated him as “a de facto Santugon candidate.”
One election later, the independent candidate Benitez faced similar obstacles, opting instead to collaborate informally with individuals from both parties to build his own network of support.
When asked how more students could be encouraged to seek USG positions, both independents pointed to the need for reform. Araneta believes that the shortage of candidates is due to the first-past-the-post voting system and the incomplete mandate winners have. He believes that if the current methods are replaced with ranked-choice voting, a candidate with the “true majority” of voters may actually be elected.
On the other hand, Benitez faults the parties’ incomplete slates and for “being part of the cause of the growing apathy,” maintaining that more USG activity, involvement, and transparency will lead to more aspiring student leaders.
*Names with asterisks (*) are pseudonyms.
