By: Sophia Pacheco
Phot courtesy of Julia Iris Eguillano | The LANCE
Presidents and representatives of Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) and Cultural and Performing Arts Groups (CPAGs) gathered on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at St. Thomas Hall for the Letran Student Council (LSC) Special Elections, held by the Letran Commission.
The special election followed the release of Resolution No. 002, s. 2026, or the “Failure of Elections & Special Elections,” issued on February 28 by the Letran COMELEC.
The resolution declared a failure of elections after no Certificates of Candidacy were filed for the positions of President, Vice President, and Secretary of the LSC.
According to Letran COMELEC Chairperson Ella Sarmiento, the conduct of special elections is in line with Article X of the Revised Election Code of 2026.
“This is an unprecedented occurrence, for recent years, ang dating kalaban natin ay abstain kapag student council elections, ngayon naman mismong wala nang tumatakbo, dahil po dito kaya tayo nagpatawag ng special elections kung saan tayo ay inaatasan na makapag-nominate para sa posisyon ng presidente, bise presidente, at sekretarya ng student council,”
She said the move aims to ensure continuity of leadership and the proper functioning of the Executive Commission. The special election seeks to fill the vacant posts and provide leadership in LSC.
“I would like to emphasize to everyone that this is the last resort for our democratic process. I know the heaviness of being a student leader, on each of our shoulders we all have made sacrifices, overcame challenges and jumped over hurdles left and right. But in these moments, I would like to remind you of the work and perseverance that you have shown as leaders,” she added.
During the program, the commission presented the rules and guidelines for the special elections. These included the process of nomination, screening and interim voting, qualification screening, and the handling of declinations.
The qualifications for the positions were discussed by the Commissioner of Logistics. The executive functions of each post were also presented to guide the voting body on the roles and duties attached to the positions.
For the position of President, after the tallying of votes, Jed Federico Acosta, a Political Science student and RJ Jamias from Tourism Management accepted their nominations, while Rinoa Leigh Ann Lamadrid declined.
For Vice President, Lamadrid, Cassandra Jane Janas from Psychology, and Raine Ashley Ranjo from Legal Management accepted their nominations. However, another round of nominations was conducted to complete the required two nominees.
In the final list, La Madrid and Ranjo remained as the official nominees after the process of confirmation and acceptance.
For Secretary, Deborah Ysabel Ambas from Political Science declined the nominations and Janas accepted her nomination.
Another round of nominations was held to complete the two nominees, during which Christine Gaspang from Accountancy was nominated, received affirmative votes, and accepted the nomination.
The COMELEC’s schedule of activities will continue with the campaign period from Apr. 6 to 10, followed by the Miting de Avance on Apr. 13, 2026.
The elections and voting are set to take place on Apr. 15 and 16, 2026, leading to the proclamation of the new LSC officers for academic year 2026-27.