STAFF GUIDELINES FOR THE STUDENT COUNCIL SPECIAL ELECTIONS
WHEREAS, the special elections for the University Student Council (USC) and College Councils are scheduled for the month of October 2023;
WHEREAS, the Philippine Collegian, in its capacity as a student publication, is expected to remain impartial and non-partisan during the upcoming electoral exercise;
WHEREAS, some members of the Collegian staff have active links with the political parties that will participate in the elections;
WHEREAS, some members of the Collegian staff have been invited to become candidates for the disputed political positions;
WHEREAS, direct participation by members of the Collegian staff in the election campaign, whether as actual candidates, members of campaign teams, or merely as overt supporters of particular candidates, will seriously call into question the Collegian’s institutional impartiality; Be it
RESOLVED, therefore, that the following policies be strictly implemented and observed by members of the Philippine Collegian staff, especially for the duration of the election and campaign period:
I. Candidacy
A. College Councils and USC
Members of the Collegian staff who file their candidacy for any USC or College Council position will be given an option to take a leave of absence or file a letter of resignation. Staff members who will run for the election must file their leave of absence or termination of membership to the Board of Editors, at the latest, one week before the deadline of submitting the certification of candidacy to the Electoral Board. The status shall take effect immediately after the concerned staff member files their certification of candidacy.
Leave of absence shall produce the following effects:
(1) Removal from the staffbox for the duration of the leave;
(2) Suspension of all Collegian duties and exclusion from all staff activities for the same duration;
(3) Suspension of all benefits due Collegian staff members (i.e. honoraria, use of facilities, press privileges, etc.).
B. Lifting of leave status
Leave status will be lifted immediately after the official results of the election have been publicly released by the Electoral Board. Thereupon, the staff member, given that they were not able to clinch any position, shall be fully reinstated to their former position.
Staff members who resigned shall be reinstated only under the following conditions:
(1) Upon passing a qualifying exam for any Collegian section;
(2) Upon topping the Collegian Editorial Examination, hence becoming the new Editor-inChief;
(3) Upon appointment to a Collegian position by the incumbent Editor-in-Chief.
C. Sundry Provisions
All candidates are absolutely prohibited form utilizing Collegian facilities in their campaigns.
II. Campaign Participation
A. The Editorial Board, Staff Members, and Probationary Staffers
Members of the Collegian are prohibited from actively and overtly supporting the candidacy of any person or the campaign of any political party, whether for the USC or College Council elections.
The following are prohibited for all Collegian members:
(1) Participation in candidates’/parties’ online campaigns. This shall include partisan participation in online assemblies, events or forums, and similar activities, unless on assignment in the Collegian;
(2) Active membership in campaign teams, election committees, or private social media groups of any party;
(3) Participation in distributing or posting campaign materials, as well as materials from the political parties’ member organizations;
(4) Partisan public display of support or disapproval for any candidate, party, or the party’s member organizations. This includes posting, sharing, reacting, and commenting on any of their materials;
(5) Public fraternizing with any candidate or with any known official or representative of any political party, as well as their member organizations;
B. Sanctions
Any editor or staff member who violates any of the above provisions shall be subject to disciplinary action as may be mandated by the Philippine Collegian Board of Editors.
III. Amendatory Clause
Any of the preceding provisions may be repealed, modified, or set aside by the Collegian Editorial Board.
These guidelines shall take effect immediately after their announcement.
Approved, The Editorial Board Philippine Collegian
22 September 2023