Shots Fired: IITians grill KASAMA Candidates in Public Forum

Aspirants of the Kataastaasang Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral (KASAMA) Special Elections came under fire as IITians publicized their concerns and pressed for explanations regarding statements the candidates had made during their campaign.

After presenting their platforms and answering a series of questions from the MSU-IIT Debate Varsity (MIDV) primarily about the implementation of said platforms, the focus shifted to IITians in attendance at the Candidates’ Forum and Platform Presentation on September 21 as they took center stage in the long-awaited question and answer session.

Most notably, out of the 21 questions asked by spectators, over half of the questions were directed to LIHOK-Astig President Sachie Medina who had to clarify the ‘misinterpretation’ surrounding her negative stance on activism four times.

One student briefly recounted their own involvement in activism, sharing that they had displayed placards to protest against the harassment they had experienced in ROTC when they were freshmen, directly posing a question to Medina and asking her to justify her stance on activism.

“Let me clarify that bad activism is when you do things to the extent that you are invading or destroying the harmony and peace of order of the people. I am not opposed to activism overall because the word itself is very broad. What you did was good activism. It is my fault that I didn’t ask the interviewer what they specifically meant when they were doing the survey since it was only a google form,” the LIHOK-Astig Medina admitted.

Meanwhile, a question arose regarding TINGOG President Lugille Castardo’s recent on-ground campaign at the NSTP weekly assembly last Sunday. A spectator questioned the implication of this move, particularly in light of Castardo’s previous stance against mandatory ROTC, and wondered why she chose the assembly as a campaign site.

“If ever you have misconceptions, I will still retain my stance against mandatory ROTC but also thank the people behind the NSTP sector for the opportunity to showcase our advocacies and platforms,” the TINGOG President clarified.

Medina of LIHOK-Astig also openly discussed the cultural appropriation incident that occurred during her tenure as the Governor of the College of Education (CED) during the 2023 Palakasan. She acknowledged that no formal statement had been released due to advice to the contrary. Instead, the matter was addressed behind closed doors with the Office of Student Development Services (OSDS) and the Center for Culture and Arts (CCA).

Throughout the hour-long session, aspirants addressed issues regarding their initiatives, how they can assure the implementation of their plans, time management, extracurriculars outside of student politics, and personal stances.

It is also worth noting that both aspiring presidents also disclosed their choices in the 2022 Philippine Presidential Elections. Medina voted for current-President Bong-Bong Marcos, while Castardo endorsed then-Vice President Leni Robredo.

The 2023 KASAMA Special Elections spotlighted two major parties: TINGOG and LIHOK-Astig. Leading the charge for the Presidency in TINGOG is Lugille Marien Castardo, a 2nd year BSEd Biology major with eight aspiring senators in her slate. On the other side, Sachie Medina, a 4th year Physical Education major, carried the banner for LIHOK-Astig.

About the Author

Andrea Ross L. Sedero

Andrea Ross L. Sedero is a 19-year-old sophomore studying BS in Psychology. She serves as the News Head for MSU-IIT’s CASSayuran Publication A.Y. 2023–2024. Having been involved in Journalism since Grade 4, she brings experience as a former Copyreader for three years in elementary and a News Writer for four years in junior high school. Today, she aspires to continue her craft and hone her writing as a member of Team CASSayuran.