Table of Contents:‬

I. Name and Purpose‬

‭ 2‬
‭
II. Declaration of Principles and Objectives‬
‭ 2‬
‭
Principles‬
‭ 2‬
‭
Objectives‬
‭ 3‬
‭
III. University Student Council‬
‭ 4‬
‭
IV. College Student Councils‬
‭ 8‬
‭
V. Class Presidents’ League‬
‭ 9‬
‭
VI. Office of the Solicitor General‬
‭ 10‬
‭
VII. University Senate‬
‭ 11‬
‭
VIII. High Court‬
‭ 13‬
‭
IX. Constitutional Commissions‬
‭ 15‬
‭
X. Student Organizations‬
‭ 16‬
‭
XI. Financial Management‬
‭ 18‬
‭
XII. Elections‬
‭ 20‬
‭
XIII. Political Party Systems‬
‭ 22‬
‭
XIV. Government and Press Relations‬
‭ 23‬
‭
XV. Offenses and Sanctions‬
‭ 25‬
‭
XVI. General Provisions‬
‭ 27‬
‭
XVII. Amendments and Revisions‬
‭ 29‬
‭
XVIII. Transitory Provisions‬
‭ 30‬
‭
 2024 Constitution of the Holy Angel University Student Government‬
‭

We‬
‭ , the students of Holy Angel University, imploring‬‭
‭ the aid of Almighty God,‬
desirous of establishing a just and benevolent Student Government that will‬
‭
unite the studentry, promote and protect students’ rights and welfare, foster‬
‭
a collaborative relationship among the students and other sectors of the‬
‭
University, and of the society, and to instill consciousness for the‬
‭
development of the Angelite student community that transforms students into‬
‭
persons of conscience, competence, and compassion, do hereby ordain and‬
‭
promulgate this Constitution.‬
‭

I.‬ ‭
‭ Name and Purpose‬

Section 1.‬‭
‭ This Constitution shall be known as the‬‭
“Constitution of the Holy‬
Angel University Student Government.”‬
‭

Section 2.‬‭
‭ There shall be a University Student Government, henceforth the‬
Government, which shall be the central governing body of the Holy Angel‬
‭
University studentry.‬
‭

II.‬ ‭
‭ Declaration of Principles and Objectives‬

Principles‬
‭

Section 1.‬‭
‭ The Government declares its main guiding‬‭
principle to be a just and‬
answerable student government that embodies the collaborative and genuine‬
‭
interest of the Holy Angel University studentry.‬
‭

Section 2.‬‭
‭ Student leadership shall be a platform‬‭
for personal holistic‬
development as a training ground for Angelite students to have an‬
‭
understanding of the macro-politics and micro-politics that surround their‬
‭
growth as Filipino citizens.‬
‭

Section 3.‬‭
‭ The Government shall devote itself to continuous‬‭
learning,‬
committed to constantly practicing assessment and evaluation for the‬
‭
betterment of service to the students.‬
‭

Section 4.‬‭
‭ Student leaders shall hold the responsibility‬‭
to adhere to the‬
highest ethical standards of:‬
‭
 (a)‬ ‭
‭ Exhibiting diligence in the service of the students as stipulated in‬
this Constitution;‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ Upholding and ensuring transparency in sharing their objectives,‬
methods, and decisions concerning the student body; and‬
‭
(c)‬ ‭
‭ Dedication to the Angelite student community without personal or‬
external bias.‬
‭

Section 5.‬‭
‭ The Government shall encourage active participation‬‭
and cooperation‬
among student organizations and institutions, placing a high value on empathy‬
‭
and camaraderie.‬
‭

Section 6.‬‭
‭ Under Article 218 of Executive Order No.‬‭
209, s. 1987, otherwise‬
known as the Family Code of the Philippines, the Government shall reserve the‬
‭
right of a student over the age of majority to independence in running for a‬
‭
position without the need for consent from their parents or guardians.‬
‭

Section 7.‬‭
‭ The Government shall prioritize the well-being‬‭
of its fellow‬
students wherein it should promote a culture of wellness within the Government‬
‭
when preparing and pursuing its initiatives and activities.‬
‭

Section 8.‬‭
‭ The principles held within the Constitution‬‭
of the Philippines,‬
including the rights conferred by it and specifically the Bill of Rights,‬
‭
shall be respected. The rights conferred by the Constitution may be‬
‭
incorporated by law or by binding decision of the High Court.‬
‭

Section 9.‬‭
‭ The Government shall respect the separation‬‭
of powers between the‬
executive, the legislative, and the judiciary, and of other organs of the‬
‭
Government.‬
‭

Section 10.‬‭
‭ The College Student Councils shall have‬‭
executive autonomy within‬
their respective Colleges.‬
‭

Section 11.‬‭
‭ The Government shall aim to be transparent‬‭
in its activities and‬
initiatives.‬
‭

Section 12.‬‭
‭ The Government shall respect the independence‬‭
of the press, as‬
embodied by the student publications, and shall respect all relevant orders‬
‭
and laws of the Philippines and of the University regarding the independence‬
‭
of freedom of speech, of expression, and of the press.‬
‭
 Objectives‬
‭

Section 13.‬‭
‭ The Government shall at all times:‬

(a)‬ ‭
‭ advocate for an accessible quality education afforded by the Angelite‬
student community;‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ defend, promote, and protect the rights and welfare of the students;‬
(c)‬ ‭
‭ serve as an active forum for student ideas and sentiments;‬
(d)‬ ‭
‭ uphold the ideals of the University geared towards ensuring a‬
well-rounded development of every student;‬
‭
(e)‬ ‭
‭ instill campus awareness and social consciousness among students;‬
(f)‬ ‭
‭ collaborate with concerned sectors of the University in the pursuit of‬
the common good of the students; and‬
‭
(g)‬ ‭
‭ develop a responsible studentry who will put educational opportunities‬
to optimal use in order to look after the welfare of the students.‬
‭

III.‬ ‭
‭ University Student Council‬

Section 1.‬‭
‭ The central executive power shall be vested‬‭
in the University‬
Student Council, which is composed of the President, the Vice President, the‬
‭
Directors of the executive Departments, the members of the Office of the‬
‭
Solicitor General, and other officers.‬
‭

Section 2.‬‭
‭ The President shall be the chief executive‬‭
of the University‬
Student Council, and shall have the following powers and duties:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ represent the University studentry;‬
(b)‬ ‭
‭ represent the University Student Council in external affairs;‬
(c)‬ ‭
‭ preside over meetings of the University Student Council;‬
(d)‬ ‭
‭ sign resolutions, communications, and papers of the University Student‬
Council;‬
‭
(e)‬ ‭
‭ exercise supervision and oversight over the Departments;‬
(f)‬ ‭
‭ propose priority subjects to be discussed by the Senate before the‬
semester starts;‬
‭
(g)‬ ‭
‭ send official correspondence to the Senate on situations where a‬
certain issue requires special attention; and‬
‭
(h)‬ ‭
‭ execute such powers and duties as may be necessary or assigned by law‬
or the University Student Council.‬
‭

Section 3.‬‭
‭ The Vice President shall be the deputy‬‭
of the President and shall‬
act in place of the President whenever the latter is incapable or unable to‬
‭
execute the powers and duties of their office.‬
‭
The Vice President shall have the following powers and duties:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ supervise and oversee the executive Departments;‬
(b)‬ ‭
‭ gather all delegations of tasks, including deadlines, from the‬
President, Vice President, and Directors, to the officers and staff;‬
‭
(c)‬ ‭
‭ create a checklist of delegations and monitor their progress; and‬
(d)‬ ‭
‭ execute such powers and duties as assigned by law, the President, or‬
the University Student Council.‬
‭

Section 4.‬‭
‭ The executive Departments shall be headed‬‭
by a Director who reports‬
to the Vice President, and shall include the following:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ The Secretariat;‬
(b)‬ ‭
‭ The Department of Finance;‬
(c)‬ ‭
‭ The Department of Events Management;‬
(d)‬ ‭
‭ The Department of Logistics;‬
(e)‬ ‭
‭ The Department of Community Extension Services;‬
(f)‬ ‭
‭ The Department of External Communications; and‬
(g)‬ ‭
‭ The Department of Human Resources.‬

Section 5.‬‭
‭ Executive Departments other than those‬‭
enumerated in this‬
Constitution may be established by the Senate through law.‬
‭

There shall be no more than three additional executive Departments at any‬

‭
time, including those established under the provisions of this section or‬
‭
enumerated by Section 4.‬
‭

All executive Departments established under the provisions of this section‬

‭
shall reflect on the University Student Council and on the College Student‬
‭
Councils as Committees, and no executive Department or Committee shall be‬
‭
created exclusively for either the University Student Council or any College‬
‭
Student Council.‬
‭

Section 6.‬‭
‭ The Secretariat shall be an executive Department‬‭
with general‬
responsibility over the documents and papers of the University Student Council‬
‭
and of its internal communications, whose Director shall be named the‬
‭
Secretary General, and shall have the following powers and duties:‬
‭
(e)‬ ‭
‭ keep all the minutes of the meetings and proceedings of the University‬
Student Council;‬
‭
(f)‬ ‭
‭ prepare internal memorandums, letters, and other documents;‬
(g)‬ ‭
‭ report and update the University Student Council regarding its‬
activities and involvements; and‬
‭
 (h)‬ ‭
‭ execute other such powers and duties vested by law or by the‬
University Student Council.‬
‭

Section 7.‬‭
‭ The Department of Finance shall be an executive Department with‬
general responsibility over the finances and budget of the University Student‬
‭
Council, and shall have the following powers and duties:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ keep a record together with the supporting documents (official‬
receipts, invoices, contracts, deposit and withdrawal slips, etc.) of‬
‭
all financial transactions of the University Student Council;‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ keep and replenish a petty cash fund whenever necessary;‬
(c)‬ ‭
‭ ensure that all disbursements are justifiable and authorized;‬
(d)‬ ‭
‭ update the financial status of the Council and present a financial‬
report when requested;‬
‭
(e)‬ ‭
‭ prepare the financial statement of the Council every end of semester;‬
and‬
‭
(f)‬ ‭
‭ execute such powers and duties vested by law or by the University‬
Student Council.‬
‭

Section 8.‬‭
‭ The Department of Events Management shall‬‭
be an executive‬
Department with general responsibility over the management and execution of‬
‭
events of the University Student Council, and shall have the following powers‬
‭
and duties:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ create events in accordance to the advocacies of the University‬
Student Council;‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ prepare the calendar of events of the Council;‬
(c)‬ ‭
‭ delegate tasks to the Council and its staff for the events identified‬
by the department;‬
‭
(d)‬ ‭
‭ ensure event orientations are administered to the Council;‬
(e)‬ ‭
‭ prepare necessary documents for events; and‬
(f)‬ ‭
‭ execute other such powers and duties vested by law or by the‬
University Student Council.‬
‭

Section 9.‬‭
‭ The Department of Logistics shall be an‬‭
executive Department with‬
general responsibility over the logistics and material properties of the‬
‭
University Student Council, and shall have the following powers and duties:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ act as the custodian of the properties, materials, and equipments of‬
the University Student Council;‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ keep and control the inventories and supplies of the University‬
Student Council;‬
‭
(c)‬ ‭
‭ submit a quarterly inventory report to the Office of Student Affairs;‬
(d)‬ ‭
‭ canvass prices and quality of materials and equipments as may be‬
needed;‬
‭
 (e)‬ ‭
‭ coordinate with concerned offices regarding venues, facilities,‬
equipment, and other logistical concerns; and‬
‭
(f)‬ ‭
‭ execute other such powers and duties vested by law or by the‬
University Student Council.‬
‭

Section 10.‬‭
‭ The Department of Community Extension Services shall be an‬
executive Department with general responsibility over the establishment and‬
‭
maintenance of community-supporting services and activities, and shall have‬
‭
the following powers and duties:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ create activities based on the reports of the Office of the Solicitor‬
General and of other offices and departments;‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ offer assistance for essential services of the council and of the‬
other offices of the University;‬
‭
(c)‬ ‭
‭ lead outreach and community extension programs inside and outside the‬
University; and‬
‭
(d)‬ ‭
‭ execute other such powers and duties vested by law or by the‬
University Student Council.‬
‭

Section 11.‬‭
‭ The Department of External Communications‬‭
shall be an executive‬
Department with general responsibility over communications and relations with‬
‭
the public and other entities, and shall have the following powers and duties:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ coordinate with student publications on the activities publicized by‬
the University Student Council in accordance with Article XIII;‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ speak on behalf of the University Student Council to the public under‬
the supervision of the President;‬
‭
(c)‬ ‭
‭ prepare external letters, memorandums, and other documents; and‬
(d)‬ ‭
‭ establish a multimedia arts and creatives team that will create the‬
publication materials of the council.‬
‭
(e)‬ ‭
‭ execute other such powers and duties vested by law or by the‬
University Student Council;‬
‭

Section 12.‬‭
‭ The Department of Human Resources shall‬‭
be an executive Department‬
with general responsibility over the recruitment, retention, and evaluation of‬
‭
the University Student Council’s officers and staff, and shall have the‬
‭
following powers and duties:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ gather all important personal information of all University Student‬
Council officers and staff and secure a record thereof only for useful‬
‭
purposes concerning Council operations;‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ plan, organize, and conduct recruitment of staff to supplement the‬
workforce of the executive Departments;‬
‭
 (c)‬ ‭
‭ plan, organize, and conduct necessary trainings, seminars, and‬
educational discussions for leadership enhancement of the officers and‬
‭
staff;‬
‭
(d)‬ ‭
‭ design and spearhead internal peer evaluations of all officers and‬
staff;‬
‭
(e)‬ ‭
‭ design and spearhead public evaluations of all officers, individually‬
and collectively;‬
‭
(f)‬ ‭
‭ administer evaluations for the events spearheaded by the Council; and‬
(g)‬ ‭
‭ execute other such powers and duties vested by law or by the‬
University Student Council.‬
‭

Section 13.‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ In case of vacancy in the office of President, the Vice President‬
shall become the President for the remainder of the term.‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ In case of vacancy in the office of Vice President, the Director with‬
the highest number of votes in the previous regular election shall‬
‭
become the Vice President for the remainder of the term.‬
‭
(c)‬ ‭
‭ In case of vacancy in the office of Director, the Commission on‬
Elections shall proclaim the unelected candidate for the office of‬
‭
President, Vice President, or Director in the previous regular‬
‭
election who obtained the highest number of votes shall become a‬
‭
Director; provided, if there is no such candidate, the President shall‬
‭
appoint a person to such office.‬
‭

IV.‬ ‭
‭ College Student Councils‬

Section 1.‬‭
‭ The collegiate executive power shall be‬‭
vested in the College‬
Student Councils, for each College, composed of a Governor, a Vice Governor,‬
‭
Councilors, and other officers.‬
‭

Section 2.‬‭
‭ The College Committees shall be headed‬‭
by a Councilor who reports‬
to the Vice Governor, and shall include the following:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ The Committee of Communications;‬
(b)‬ ‭
‭ The Committee of Finance;‬
(c)‬ ‭
‭ The Committee of Events Management and Logistics;‬
(d)‬ ‭
‭ The Committee of Community Extension Services; and‬
(e)‬ ‭
‭ The Committee of Human Resources.‬

Section 3.‬‭
‭ Should a College have a student population‬‭
of more than one‬
thousand students, the following Committees shall be split:‬
‭
 (a)‬ ‭
‭ The Committee of Communications shall be split into the Committee of‬
Internal Communications and the Committee of External Communications;‬
‭
and‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ The Committee of Events Management and Logistics shall be split into‬
the Committee of Events Management and the Committee of Logistics.‬
‭

Section 4.‬‭
‭ Unless otherwise specified by law, the functions and duties of each‬
Committee shall mirror those of their executive Department counterparts, with‬
‭
the necessary substitutions, insofar as they are applicable within the College‬
‭
Student Council, including the following:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ The counterpart of the Secretariat shall be the Committee of Internal‬
Communications or, if Section 3 is not applicable, the Committee of‬
‭
Communications; and‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ The counterpart of the Department of Events Management and the‬
Department of Logistics shall be, if Section 3 is not applicable, the‬
‭
Committee of Events Management and Logistics.‬
‭

Section 5.‬
‭
(a)‬
‭ In case of vacancy in the office of Governor, the Vice Governor shall‬
‭
become the Governor for the remainder of the term.‬
‭
(b)‬
‭ In case of vacancy in the office of Vice Governor, the Councilor with‬
‭
the highest number of votes in the previous regular election shall‬
‭
become the Vice Governor for the remainder of the term.‬
‭
(c)‬
‭ In case of vacancy in the office of a Councilor, the Commission on‬
‭
Elections shall proclaim the unelected candidate for the office of‬
‭
Governor, Vice Governor, or Councilor in the previous regular election‬
‭
who obtained the highest number of votes shall become a Councilor;‬
‭
provided, if there is no such candidate, the Governor shall appoint a‬
‭
person to such office.‬
‭

V.‬ ‭
‭ Class Presidents’ League‬

Section 1.‬‭
‭ There shall be a Class Presidents' League‬‭
in each College, composed‬
of the presidents of each block section and headed by the Governor of the‬
‭
respective College Student Council.‬
‭

Section 2.‬‭
‭ The Class Presidents’ League shall serve‬‭
as an official link‬
between the College Student Council and their respective constituents, as an‬
‭
avenue for the College Student Council to communicate its programs and‬
‭
activities, resolutions and other matters concerning students, and as a means‬
‭
for the students of the College to raise their needs and concerns to the‬
‭
College Student Council.‬
‭

Section 3.‬‭
‭ The Governor shall have the power to organize‬‭
the leadership and‬
officers of the Class Presidents’ League;‬‭
‭ provided,‬‭
any leaders or officers‬
shall be from the membership of the League.‬
‭

Section 4.‬‭
‭ The Governor shall convene a meeting of the Class Presidents’‬
League on a monthly basis, and as necessary thereafter.‬
‭

Section 5.‬‭
‭ Each block section shall choose their officers, which shall at‬
least include the class president who shall be a member of the Class‬
‭
President’s League.‬
‭

In case of absence or incapacity of the class president, the class vice‬

‭
president, or a suitable representative of the block section if there is no‬
‭
class vice president, shall take over the position of the former.‬
‭

VI.‬ ‭
‭ Office of the Solicitor General‬

Section 1.‬‭
‭ There shall be an Office of the Solicitor General, composed of the‬
Solicitor General and the Associate Solicitors General.‬
‭

Section 2.‬‭
‭ The Office of the Solicitor General shall‬‭
be responsible for‬
studying, recording, and processing of student grievances, such as but not‬
‭
limited to:‬
‭
(a)‬‭
‭ academic concerns;‬
(b)‬‭
‭ student-employee relations;‬
(c)‬‭
‭ student welfare and development;‬
(d)‬‭
‭ concerns on facilities and equipment; and‬
(e)‬‭
‭ other grievances and concerns.‬

The Office of the Solicitor General shall identify the appropriate action, or‬
‭
refer and endorse student grievances to the administrative offices of Holy‬
‭
Angel University, or both.‬
‭

Section 3.‬‭
‭ Each College Student Council shall appoint,‬‭
without the power of‬
removal, from their College one Associate Solicitor General.‬
‭

The President shall appoint, without the power of removal, the Solicitor‬
‭
General from the list of appointed Associate Solicitors General.‬
‭
Section 4.‬‭
‭ The term of office of the Solicitor General and the Associate‬
Solicitors General shall be one academic year, and shall commence on the first‬
‭
day of the academic year for which they are appointed.‬
‭

A Solicitor General or Associate Solicitor General appointed during the‬

‭
academic year to fill a vacant position shall serve the remainder of the‬
‭
unexpired term.‬
‭

No Solicitor General or Associate Solicitor General shall serve for more than‬
‭
two terms. Voluntary renunciation of the office for any length of time shall‬
‭
not be considered as an interruption in the continuity of their service for‬
‭
the full term they are appointed.‬
‭

VII.‬ ‭
‭ University Senate‬

Section 1.‬‭
‭ The legislative power shall be vested in‬‭
the University Senate, the‬
unicameral legislature of the Government, which is composed of Senators, one‬
‭
elected each from the Colleges and an equal number of Senators elected‬
‭
at-large.‬
‭

All bills, resolutions, laws, and other forms of activities in exercise of the‬
‭
legislative power of the Senate shall cover and shall be limited on the‬
‭
boundaries of the operations of the‬‭
‭ University Student‬‭
Government.‬

Section 2.‬‭
‭ The Senate shall elect the Senate President‬‭
by an absolute majority‬
vote of the Senators. The Senate shall choose such other officers it may deem‬
‭
necessary.‬
‭

Section 3.‬‭
‭ The Senate shall determine the rules of‬‭
its proceedings, establish‬
its standing committees, and create sanctions for its members and staff for‬
‭
disorderly behavior, through a document for its rules of procedure that will‬
‭
be ratified with a three-fourths majority of all the Senators.‬
‭

Section 4.‬‭
‭ The Senate shall keep a Journal of its‬‭
proceedings, which shall be‬
published regularly. The ayes and nays of votes shall be entered into the‬
‭
Journal.‬
‭

Section 5.‬‭
‭ The Senate shall create a special committee that identifies and‬
redacts sensitive and confidential information discussed on all legislative‬
‭
meetings before public consumption. Sensitive and confidential information‬
‭
shall scope:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ personally-identifiable information as defined by Republic Act 10173,‬
otherwise known as the Data Privacy Act of 2012;‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ information protected by non-disclosure agreements;‬
(c)‬ ‭
‭ sources of quoted statements from internal evaluations screened by the‬
High Court for the consumption of a legislative discussion; and‬
‭
(d)‬ ‭
‭ names of the petitioners and respondents of quoted cases or‬
disciplinary proceedings from Holy Angel University.‬
‭

Section 6.‬‭
‭ The Senate shall meet for two regular sessions, one in the first‬
semester and one for the second semester, and shall continue to be in session‬
‭
for a period of days as it may determine until fourteen days before the end of‬
‭
the semester.‬
‭

The Senate President or one-fourth of the Senators may call for a special‬
‭
session or emergency meeting of the Senate.‬
‭

Section 7.‬‭
‭ There shall be no closed-door sessions‬‭
to be scheduled or organized‬
by the Senate.‬
‭

Section 8.‬‭
‭ All bills shall embrace only one subject,‬‭
which shall be expressed‬
in its title.‬
‭

Section 9.‬‭
‭ All bills shall be deliberated on three‬‭
readings, and a copy shall‬
be furnished to the Senators three business days before each reading by the‬
‭
Senate. On the last reading, no amendment shall be entertained, and the vote‬
‭
shall be taken immediately thereafter.‬
‭

Section 10.‬‭
‭ All bills passed by a two-thirds majority‬‭
of the Senate shall be‬
published, and presented to the High Court to test its constitutionality for‬
‭
three to five consecutive business days.‬
‭

If the bill is certified as unconstitutional, it shall be returned to the‬

‭
Senate with the reasons for its unconstitutionality. The Senate, upon receipt‬
‭
of a bill returned by the High Court, shall not repass the bill unamended, and‬
‭
any amended bill shall pass through the same legislative procedures as a new‬
‭
bill.‬
‭

Section 11.‬‭
‭ If the bill was certified to be constitutional by the High Court,‬
the bill shall be endorsed to the President to either approve or veto the‬
‭
bill.‬
‭
If the bill was approved by the President, the bill shall become a law. If the‬
‭
bill was vetoed by the President, they shall return the bill to the Senate‬
‭
with their objections.‬
‭

Section 12.‬‭
‭ The Senate, upon receipt of the vetoed‬‭
bill, may override the veto‬
through the approval of the three-fourths majority of all of the Senators.‬
‭

Section 13.‬‭
‭ If the President takes no action on a bill within fourteen‬
calendar days of its date of receipt from the High Court, it shall become a‬
‭
law as if they had signed it.‬
‭

Section 14.‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ In case of vacancy in the office of a Senator elected from the‬
Colleges, the Commission on Elections shall proclaim the unelected‬
‭
candidate for the office of a Senator elected from their College in‬
‭
the previous regular election who obtained the highest number of votes‬
‭
or, if there is no such candidate, the Governor shall nominate‬‭
‭ a‭
a
‬ny‬
person‬‭
‭ to serve such office‬
; provided, the Governor shall consult with‬
‭
the College Student Council before a nomination of a person other than‬
‭
an unelected candidate.‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ In case of vacancy in the office of a Senator elected at-large, the‬
Commission on Elections shall proclaim the unelected candidate for the‬
‭
office of a Senator elected at-large in the previous regular election‬
‭
who obtained the highest number of votes or, if there is no such‬
‭
candidate, the President shall nominate‬‭
‭ a‬
any‬‭
‭ person‬‭
to serve such‬
office‬
‭ ; provided, the President shall consult with the University‬
‭
Student Council before a nomination of a person other than an‬
‭
unelected candidate.‬
‭
(c)‬ ‭
‭ Nominations made under the provisions of this section shall require‬
the approval of the Senate by an absolute majority vote before their‬
‭
appointment.‬
‭

VIII.‬ ‭
‭ High Court‬

Section 1.‬‭
‭ The judicial power shall be vested in a‬‭
High Court, which is‬
composed of a Chief Justice and the Associate Justices.‬
‭

Section 2.‬‭
‭ The High Court shall have the following‬‭
powers and duties:‬
 (a)‬ ‭
‭ Exercise original jurisdiction over cases where no lower tribunal has‬
original jurisdiction as provided by law, and over petitions of‬
‭
certiorari, prohibition, mandamus, quo warranto, and other writs;‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ Review, revise, reverse, modify, or affirm on appeal or certiorari, as‬
the law or the Rules of Court may provide, final judgments and orders‬
‭
of lower tribunals or agencies‬
‭ ;‬
‭
(c)‬ ‭
‭ Issue any and all writs necessary and appropriate in aid of their‬
jurisdiction;‬
‭
(d)‬ ‭
‭ Answer certified questions regarding the constitutionality, validity,‬
or interpretation of laws or executive issuances;‬
‭
(e)‬ ‭
‭ Promulgate rules concerning the administration of justice, pleading,‬
practice, and procedure in all tribunals. Such rules however shall not‬
‭
diminish, increase, or modify substantive rights, constitutional‬
‭
provisions of the Government, and existing policies governing student‬
‭
discipline in the Philippines and in Holy Angel University. Rules of‬
‭
procedure of lower tribunals shall remain effective unless disapproved‬
‭
by the High Court;‬
‭
(f)‬ ‭
‭ Appoint and supervise the officials and personnel of the Judiciary;‬
and‬
‭
(g)‬ ‭
‭ Open cases on its own initiative as necessary for the facilitation of‬
justice.‬
‭

Section 3.‬‭
‭ The President shall appoint the Chief Justice‬‭
and the Associate‬
Justices from a list of at least three nominees prepared by the Senate;‬
‭
provided‬
‭ , the President may instead appoint the Chief‬‭
‭ Justice from among the‬
Associate Justices. The Chief Justice shall be the highest-ranking position on‬
‭
the High Court.‬
‭

The number of the Associate Justices of the High Court shall be seven.‬
‭

Any vacancy shall be filled within thirty days from the occurrence thereof.‬
‭

Section 4.‬‭
‭ The High Court may organize itself into‬‭
divisions to hear cases and‬
petitions;‬‭
‭ provided‬
, decisions of a division of the‬‭
‭ High Court are appealable‬
to the High Court‬‭
‭ en banc‬
.‬
‭

Section 5.‬‭
‭ Members of the High Court shall enjoy tenure‬‭
during their‬
continuous stay at the University, and shall not be removed unless they lose‬
‭
their qualifications.‬
‭

Section 6.‬‭
‭ The‬‭
M‬
m‬
‭ embers and staff of the High Court shall not have any‬
‭
affiliation to any political party prior and during their service.‬
‭
Section 7.‬‭
‭ There shall be a formal deliberation for‬‭
every case submitted to‬
the High Court before the writing of the opinion of the High Court by the‬
‭
member assigned to it. Any Members who took no part, or dissented, or‬
‭
abstained from a decision or resolution, must state their reason.‬
‭

The formal deliberation shall discuss clearly and distinctly the facts and the‬
‭
law on which an argument was based.‬
‭

Section 8.‬‭
‭ No petition or motion for reconsideration of a decision of the High‬
Court shall be refused or denied without stating its legal basis.‬
‭

Section 9.‬‭
‭ The Chief Justice shall represent the student government in the‬
Board of Discipline hearings of the Office of Student Affairs. In the‬
‭
unavailability of the Chief Justice, they may be assigned from the pool of‬
‭
available Associate Justices for the hearing.‬
‭

Section 10.‬‭
‭ The High Court shall draft rules of procedure‬‭
that shall include‬
the processing decisions towards cases or matters that need the attention of‬
‭
the High Court as required by this Constitution. It shall also detail all the‬
‭
necessary documents that signifies internal and external communication,‬
‭
essential to the operations of the court.‬
‭

The rules and procedures shall be ratified by the Senate, and by the President‬
‭
and the Governors in an assembly called for that purpose.‬
‭

Section 11.‬‭
‭ There shall be a High Court Secretariat,‬‭
under the supervision of‬
the High Court and headed by a Chief Clerk, which shall assist the High Court‬
‭
in overseeing the court's administration, such as managing the flow of cases‬
‭
through the court, keeping records, handling internal and external‬
‭
communication involving the High Court, and organizing platforms of reception‬
‭
of cases and appeals from the public and from the Government.‬
‭

The Chief Clerk shall be appointed by the Chief Justice with the approval of‬
‭
the High Court en banc.‬
‭

Section 12.‬‭
‭ If a matter involves a violation of the‬‭
College Student Handbook‬
that is not related to the operations of the Government, the High Court shall‬
‭
immediately refer the case to the Holy Angel University Office of Student‬
‭
Affairs.‬
‭
Section 13.‬‭
‭ The High Court shall be responsible to proactively react on‬
student issues that have attracted the attention of the general public‬
‭
relating to the constitutional duties of the Government, including the‬
‭
publication of written statements for the education of the public regarding‬
‭
the processes.‬
‭

IX.‬ ‭
‭ Constitutional Commissions‬

Section 1.‬‭
‭ The independent Constitutional Commissions are the Commission on‬
Elections, the Commission on Financial Audit, and the Commission on Student‬
‭
Organizations.‬
‭

Section 2.‬‭
‭ Each Commission en banc may promulgate its own rules concerning‬
pleadings and practice before it or before any of its offices. Such rules‬
‭
however shall not diminish, increase, or modify substantive rights,‬
‭
constitutional provisions of the Government, and existing policies governing‬
‭
student activities in the Philippines and in Holy Angel University.‬
‭

Section 3.‬‭
‭ Each Commission shall decide by a majority‬‭
vote of all its Members‬
any case or matter brought before it within sixty days from the date of its‬
‭
submission for decision or resolution. A case or matter is deemed submitted‬
‭
for decision or resolution upon the filing of the last pleading, brief, or‬
‭
memorandum required by the rules of the Commission or by the Commission‬
‭
itself. Unless otherwise provided by this Constitution or by law, any‬
‭
decision, order, or ruling of each Commission may be brought to the High Court‬
‭
on certiorari by the aggrieved party within thirty days from receipt of a copy‬
‭
thereof.‬
‭

Section 4.‬‭
‭ The Members of the Constitutional Commissions,‬‭
excluding the‬
Commission on Student Organizations, shall not have any affiliation to any‬
‭
political party.‬
‭

X.‬ ‭
‭ Student Organizations‬

Section 1.‬‭
‭ There shall be a Commission on Student‬‭
Organizations, composed of‬
Commissioners as representatives of the student organizations and a non-voting‬
‭
adviser, and headed by a Chairman, which shall be the central forum for‬
‭
cooperation and collaboration between the student organizations, and for their‬
‭
collective representation to the Government and other entities.‬
‭
Section 2.‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ The President shall convene the heads of the University-wide student‬
organizations, witnessed by a representative of the Commission on‬
‭
Elections, to elect a Commissioner representing the University-wide‬
‭
student organizations to the Commission on Student Organizations.‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ The Governors shall convene the heads of the student organizations of‬
their College, witnessed by a representative of the Commission on‬
‭
Elections, to elect a Commissioner representing the student‬
‭
organizations of their College to the Commission on Student‬
‭
Organizations.‬
‭
(c)‬ ‭
‭ The Commissioner representing the student organizations shall come‬
from the membership of those student organizations, which may include‬
‭
their officers, but shall not include the head of the student‬
‭
organization. Each student organization shall nominate one candidate‬
‭
for the election held under this section. The election of a‬
‭
representative shall not cause the termination of the membership or‬
‭
office of that person in their respective student organization.‬
‭
(d)‬ ‭
‭ The President and the Governors shall convene the heads of the student‬
organizations at the beginning of the academic year and within‬
‭
fourteen days of the occurrence of a vacancy on the Commission.‬
‭

Section 3.‬‭
‭ The adviser of the Commission shall be‬‭
the Student Activities‬
Coordinator of the Office of Student Affairs who shall have no vote but shall‬
‭
act as the parliamentarian of their meetings, and shall be present in all of‬
‭
its meetings.‬
‭

In the temporary absence of the Student Activities Coordinator, the Office of‬
‭
Student Affairs may designate a representative to act as adviser in the‬
‭
interim.‬
‭

Section 4.‬‭
‭ The Members of the Commission on Student‬‭
Organizations shall meet‬
before the start of the first semester of the academic year, and shall elect‬
‭
during that meeting from among themselves a Chairman, who shall serve‬
‭
concurrently as Commissioner, to moderate and maintain the administrative‬
‭
affairs of the Commission, which shall be witnessed by a representative of the‬
‭
Commission on Elections.‬
‭

Section 5.‬‭
‭ The term of office of the Commissioners‬‭
shall be one academic year,‬
which shall end before the first day of the next academic year.‬
‭

Section 6.‬‭
‭ The Chairman of the Commission shall act‬‭
as the liaison between the‬
student organizations and other offices and entities of the University. They‬
‭
shall collect the general concerns of the student organizations that need the‬
‭
attention of the entities around the conduct of student activities at Holy‬
‭
Angel University.‬
‭

Section 7.‬‭
‭ The Commission shall assist the Office‬‭
of Student Affairs Student‬
Activities Coordinator in all procedures relating to accreditation of student‬
‭
institutions.‬
‭

Section 8.‬‭
‭ The Commission shall establish an official‬‭
gazette for the‬
Commission, named the Student Lens, which shall collaborate with the Office of‬
‭
Student Affairs to collect the narrative reports of all student activities of‬
‭
all student institutions and of the Government and present the same to the‬
‭
public.‬
‭

XI.‬ ‭
‭ Financial Management‬

Section 1.‬‭
‭ The audited financial statements of student‬‭
institutions shall be‬
made available to the public, and all financial records shall at all times be‬
‭
accessible to the Commission on Financial Audit.‬
‭

Section 2.‬‭
‭ There shall be a Commission on Financial‬‭
Audit, composed of no less‬
than three and no more than seven Commissioners; provided that the‬
‭
Commissioners should come from the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants‬
‭
and Auditors - United Inc. (JPIAA-U) or the equivalent organization.‬
‭

Section 3.‬‭
‭ The Commission on Financial Audit shall‬‭
have the power and mandate‬
to examine and audit the financial records of student institutions, which‬
‭
shall include the Government, and shall have the exclusive authority to define‬
‭
the scope of its financial audit and examinations, establish the techniques‬
‭
and methods for such, promulgate accounting and auditing rules and‬
‭
regulations, and establish guidelines through an audit handbook.‬
‭

Section 4.‬‭
‭ The JPIAA-U Vice President for Audit or‬‭
the equivalent position‬
shall be the Chairman of the Commission, who shall serve concurrently as‬
‭
Commissioner.‬
‭

In case the character of the Vice President for Audit or the equivalent‬
‭
position is put into question in a formal investigation or is found guilty of‬
‭
a major offense, or in case the accreditation of the JPIAA-U or the equivalent‬
‭
organization was suspended, the Student Activities Coordinator of the Office‬
‭
of Student Affairs shall have the power to terminate the Chairman and appoint‬
‭
a Chairman‬‭
‭ pro tempore‬
.‬
‭

Section 5.‬‭
‭ The Chairman of the Commission shall have the power to appoint and‬
remove the Commissioners.‬
‭

Section 6.‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ No law shall be passed that encompasses the purview of the Commission‬
on Financial Audit, as certified by its Chairman, without its advice‬
‭
and concurrence.‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ No law shall be passed exempting any student institution from the‬
jurisdiction of the Commission on Financial Audit.‬
‭

Section 7.‬‭
‭ If a Commissioner working under the Commission‬‭
on Financial Audit‬
finds probable cause of financial fraud in its audit of an institution, it‬
‭
shall immediately inform the Commission on Financial Audit en banc who shall‬
‭
then have the discretion to conduct an investigation.‬
‭

The investigation shall be conducted by an‬‭

‭ ad hoc‬‭
panel of Commissioners and‬
Justices of the High Court, whose composition shall be determined by the‬
‭
Chairman of the Commission and the Chief Justice.‬
‭

Should such an investigation find probable cause of financial fraud, the‬

‭
Commission on Financial Audit shall file an incident report within 24 hours at‬
‭
the Student Conduct Office of the Office of Student Affairs.‬
‭

Section 8.‬‭
‭ The Commission on Financial Audit shall‬‭
select and designate a‬
receipts supplier, which may be the same as the Commission on Financial Audit,‬
‭
and which shall exclusively supply all blank official receipts, acknowledgment‬
‭
receipts, and petty cash vouchers for use of the Government and and other‬
‭
student institutions.‬
‭

The Government and other student institutions shall not obtain or use blank‬
‭
receipts supplied by any other source other than the receipts supplier.‬
‭

Section 9.‬‭
‭ No acknowledgement receipt shall be valid‬‭
unless signed by the‬
institution’s finance officer, the institution’s head, and the institution’s‬
‭
adviser, and signed with name by the receiver and payer of the transaction.‬
‭

No petty cash voucher shall be valid unless signed by the student‬

‭
institution’s finance officer, and signed with name by the receiver and payer‬
‭
of the transaction.‬
‭
Section 10.‬‭
‭ The Commission on Financial Audit shall consult the Senate for the‬
pricing of all financial documents or slips by presenting at least two‬
‭
quotations for each type of financial document or slip to establish an‬
‭
estimated amount and pricing for blank receipts and petty cash vouchers to‬
‭
supply to institutions at the beginning of an academic year.‬
‭

Institutions may request for additional amounts of blank receipts and petty‬
‭
cash vouchers from the receipts supplier, upon submission of:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ an outline of planned activities, including the projected amount of‬
sales, within the first three weeks of a semester; or‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ the outline of a planned activity, including the project amount of‬
sales, at least two months before the actual date of the event.‬
‭

Section 11.‬‭
‭ Any expense over three thousand pesos, or a larger amount as may‬
be established by the Commission on Financial Audit, shall require the‬
‭
inclusion of the contact information of the supplier or payee in the financial‬
‭
statement.‬
‭

Section 12.‬‭
‭ Institutions under the jurisdiction of‬‭
the Commission on Financial‬
Audit may opt to be audited by a Certified Public Accountant instead of by the‬
‭
auditing partner of the Commission;‬‭
‭ provided‬
, a copy‬‭
‭ of the Certified Public‬
Accountant’s communications and reports shall be furnished to the Commission‬
‭
on Financial Audit.‬
‭

Such institutions shall bear the costs of the Certified Public Accountant.‬
‭

Section 13.‬‭
‭ The JPIAA-U or any equivalent organization,‬‭
as the audit partner‬
of the Commission, shall ask for the assistance of an external auditor for‬
‭
their own financial statement and shall submit the results of the audit to the‬
‭
Office of Student Affairs on the same deadline they are required by the‬
‭
Securities and Exchange Commission, in accordance with the provisions of‬
‭
Section 12.‬
‭

XII.‬ ‭
‭ Elections‬

Section 1.‬‭
‭ The regular election period shall be identified‬‭
by the Office of‬
Student Affairs and shall be no earlier than the midterm period and no later‬
‭
than the final period of the second semester of the academic year.‬
‭
Section 2.‬‭
‭ Elective executive and legislative positions of the Government‬
shall be elected by popular vote through a secret ballot.‬
‭

Section 3.‬‭
‭ There shall be one winner for each of the following executive‬
positions:‬
‭
(a)‬‭
‭ The President;‬
(b)‬‭
‭ The Vice President;‬
(c)‬‭
‭ The Governors; and‬
(d)‬‭
‭ The Vice Governors‬

Section 4.‬‭
‭ For the election of Directors, the number‬‭
of winners shall be based‬
on the number of executive Departments, and shall be elected at-large.‬
‭

Following their proclamation, the Directors-elect shall each assemble and‬

‭
determine the assignment of Departments; provided, that in case of‬
‭
disagreement, the assignment of Departments shall be by lot.‬
‭

No Director-elect shall serve and be sworn in to office unless they have been‬
‭
assigned to a Department.‬
‭

Section 5.‬‭
‭ For the election of Councilors, the number‬‭
of winners shall be‬
based on the number of Committees, and shall be elected at-large in their‬
‭
respective Colleges.‬
‭

Following their proclamation, the Councilors-elect shall each assemble and‬

‭
determine the assignment of Committees; provided, that in case of‬
‭
disagreement, the assignment of Committees shall be by lot.‬
‭

No Councilor-elect shall serve and be sworn in to office unless they have been‬
‭
assigned to a Committee.‬
‭

Section 6.‬‭
‭ No person shall run for office if they‬‭
have less than one academic‬
year of residency remaining for their degree program at the start of the‬
‭
academic year they shall serve in;‬‭
‭ provided‬
, the residency‬‭
‭ of students‬
enrolled in a double-degree program shall be based on the second degree.‬
‭

Section 7.‬‭
‭ There shall be a Commission on Elections,‬‭
composed of a Chairman, a‬
non-voting advisor, and Commissioners representing the Colleges and the‬
‭
University as a whole.‬
‭

The Commission shall have the exclusive power and mandate to: direct,‬
‭
organize, and supervise elections, referenda, and plebiscites; verify the‬
‭
qualifications of elected or appointed officials; maintain the official list‬
‭
of elected officials; and register and administer political parties,‬
‭
alliances, and coalitions.‬
‭

Section -. Members of the Commission on Elections shall enjoy tenure during‬

‭
their continuous stay at the University, and shall not be removed unless they‬
‭
lose their qualifications.‬
‭

Section 8.‬‭
‭ No appointment, automatic or discretionary,‬‭
to an elective office‬
shall be valid unless and until the appointee’s qualifications are verified by‬
‭
the COMELEC.‬
‭

Section 9.‬‭
‭ The non-voting adviser of the COMELEC shall be‬‭
ex officio‬‭
a‬
representative designated by the Director of the Office of Student Affairs. In‬
‭
the absence or unavailability of the designated representative, the Student‬
‭
Activities Coordinator shall act as adviser‬‭
‭ pro tempore‬
.‬
‭

Section 10.‬‭
‭ The election code shall be written by‬‭
the Commission on Elections‬
and shall be ratified by the President and Governors in an assembly called for‬
‭
that purpose, the Senate, and the High Court.‬
‭

The election code shall detail the election procedures, guidelines and‬
‭
sanctions, and the appointment of Commissioners, and other support staff.‬
‭

Section 11.‬‭
‭ There shall be an Electoral Tribunal under‬‭
the Commission on‬
Elections, composed of Commissioners as provided for by the Commission on‬
‭
Elections, which shall have exclusive original jurisdiction on any dispute‬
‭
arising from matters relating to elections, referenda, and plebiscites, except‬
‭
for the right to vote.‬
‭

The decisions of the Electoral Tribunal may be appealed to the Commission‬‭

‭ en‬
banc‬
‭ .‬
‭

XIII.‬ ‭
‭ Political Party Systems‬

Section 1.‬‭
‭ The right of students to organize and form‬‭
political parties shall‬
be recognized and respected by the Government.‬
‭
The Commission on Elections shall administer and regulate the accreditation of‬
‭
political parties. No political party shall operate within the University‬
‭
unless accredited by the Commission.‬
‭

Section 2.‬‭
‭ The applications for accreditation of political parties shall be‬
open any time of the year and shall be processed by the Commission on‬
‭
Elections no later than thirty days after the receipt of the application.‬
‭

Once the application for accreditation is approved, the Commission on‬

‭
Elections shall endorse the political party to the Student Activities‬
‭
Coordinator for their acknowledgement and recording of the same.‬
‭

Section 3.‬‭
‭ Political parties shall be allowed to organize‬‭
or participate only‬
during the following activities beyond the election period as set by the‬
‭
Commission on Elections:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ Freshman orientations;‬
(b)‬ ‭
‭ The Student Activity Festival;‬
(c)‬ ‭
‭ Orientations of newly recruited political party members;‬
(d)‬ ‭
‭ Meetings of the political party; and‬
(e)‬ ‭
‭ Activities that exercise the right to freedom of speech and‬
expression.‬
‭

Section 4.‬‭
‭ Their onsite activities shall be limited‬‭
to recruiting, orienting,‬
and recalibrating political party members and shall not conduct any acts of‬
‭
premature campaigning in preparation for the next elections.‬
‭

Section 5.‬‭
‭ All onsite recruitment interviews and meetings‬‭
shall be limited to‬
closed-door venues and shall be witnessed by a representative of the‬
‭
Commission on Elections.‬
‭

Section 6.‬‭
‭ No off-campus activities shall be organized‬‭
by political parties.‬

Section 7.‬‭
‭ Except during the campaign period as designated‬‭
by the Commission‬
on Elections, no online public events shall be organized by the political‬
‭
parties.‬
‭

Section 8.‬‭
‭ All activities of every political party‬‭
shall comply with the‬
guidelines in the conduct of on-campus student activities of the Office of‬
‭
Student Affairs.‬
‭
 XIV.‬ ‭
‭ Government and Press Relations‬

Section 1.‬‭
‭ A collaborative relationship must be maintained between the‬
Government and the student publications for the common good of the University‬
‭
studentry.‬
‭

Section 2.‬‭
‭ No law shall be passed that limits or diminishes the right of‬
student journalists to reach out to any public official for interviews and‬
‭
consultations.‬
‭

Section 3.‬‭
‭ The Department of External Communications and the equivalent‬
Committee of the College Student Councils shall establish and maintain‬
‭
communications with the press community.‬
‭

Section 4.‬‭
‭ The Director for External Communications‬‭
shall appoint a university‬
press secretary, who shall handle official communications between the‬
‭
University Student Council and the press. The Director may designate‬
‭
themselves to concurrently serve as press secretary.‬
‭

Section 5.‬‭
‭ The Councilor for External Communications‬‭
or the Councilor for‬
Communications shall appoint a college press secretary who shall handle‬
‭
official communications between the College Student Council and the press. The‬
‭
Councilor may designate themselves to concurrently serve as press secretary.‬
‭

Section 6.‬‭
‭ The press secretary shall organize at least‬‭
two press conferences‬
during every semester, in separate academic periods. The press secretary shall‬
‭
be held accountable for failure to conduct the mandatory amount of press‬
‭
conferences during the semester.‬
‭

For the University Student Council, invitations to the press conferences shall‬
‭
be extended to all tertiary-level student publications.‬
‭

For the College Student Councils, invitations to the press conferences shall‬
‭
be extended to the student publications of their respective Colleges. The‬
‭
College Student Council may extend those invitations to other tertiary-level‬
‭
student publications.‬
‭

Section 7.‬‭
‭ The University Student Council and the‬‭
College Student Councils‬
shall publish without undue delay all important announcements to the general‬
‭
public, which shall include:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ Major accomplishments of public importance;‬
(b)‬ ‭
‭ Calendar of events, whether semestral or for the whole academic year;‬
 (c)‬ ‭
‭ Priorities of the Government in at least the next three months;‬
(d)‬ ‭
‭ Priority bills the President or the Governor endorsed to the Senate;‬
and‬
‭
(e)‬ ‭
‭ Other important announcements as provided by law.‬

Section 8.‬‭
‭ The Senate shall publish without undue delay in accordance with law‬
the following documents, papers, and information:‬
‭
(a)‬‭
‭ List of priority bills for this semester;‬
(b)‬‭
‭ The order of business for all sessions;‬
(c)‬‭
‭ Major accomplishments;‬
(d)‬‭
‭ Senate journal;‬
(e)‬‭
‭ Filed bills; and‬
(f)‬‭
‭ Approved laws.‬

Section 9.‬‭
‭ The High Court shall publish without undue‬‭
delay in accordance with‬
law the following documents, papers, and information:‬
‭
(a)‬‭
‭ List of cases and proceedings;‬
(b)‬‭
‭ Court decisions;‬
(c)‬‭
‭ Jurisprudence; and‬
(d)‬‭
‭ Court calendar.‬

Section 10.‬‭
‭ The Commission on Elections shall publish‬‭
without undue delay in‬
accordance with law the following documents, papers, and information:‬
‭
(a)‬‭
‭ Appointment and resignation letters;‬
(b)‬‭
‭ Major accomplishments;‬
(c)‬‭
‭ Calendar of events;‬
(d)‬‭
‭ Public memorandum;‬
(e)‬‭
‭ List of Certificate of Candidacy submissions;‬
(f)‬‭
‭ List of qualified candidates for the election; and‬
(g)‬‭
‭ Election results.‬

Section 11.‬‭
‭ The Commission on Student Organizations‬‭
shall publish without‬
undue delay in accordance with law the following documents, papers, and‬
‭
information:‬
‭
(a)‬‭
‭ Accreditation file for all student institutions without‬
personally-identifiable information; and‬
‭
(b)‬‭
‭ Post-event submissions.‬

Section 12.‬‭
‭ The Commission on Financial Audit shall‬‭
hold a press conference on‬
the release of copies of the financial statements of all student institutions‬
‭
to the public.‬
‭
Section 13.‬‭
‭ Public officials have the right of consent to the release of any‬
statement outside of a formal interview or platforms of communication.‬
‭
However, this right to consent does not apply to public and official‬
‭
statements, where waiver of consent is implied, which shall be but not limited‬
‭
to:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ Official business correspondence;‬
(b)‬ ‭
‭ Statements made in press conferences;‬
(c)‬ ‭
‭ Public speeches;‬
(d)‬ ‭
‭ Public statements made by public officials published through official‬
channels or platforms of communication.‬
‭

XV.‬ ‭
‭ Offenses and Sanctions‬

Section 1.‬‭
‭ No person shall be held to answer for an‬‭
offense without due‬
process of law.‬
‭

Section 2.‬‭
‭ In all prosecutions, the accused shall‬‭
be presumed innocent until‬
the contrary is proved, and shall enjoy the right to be heard by the counsel,‬
‭
to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against them, to have‬
‭
an impartial trial, and to have compulsory process to the production of‬
‭
evidence in their behalf. However, after arraignment, trial may proceed‬
‭
notwithstanding the absence of the accused;‬‭
‭ provided,‬‭
that they have been duly‬
notified and their failure to appear is unjustifiable.‬
‭

Section 3.‬‭
‭ No ex post facto law or bill of attainder‬‭
shall be enacted.‬

Section 4.‬‭
‭ Serious offenses are acts which involve‬‭
grievous violations of law‬
which may cause great damage to property and persons or be morally repugnant‬
‭
or obscene, and shall include the following:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ Willful violation of this constitution;‬
(b)‬ ‭
‭ Gross negligence of duties;‬
(c)‬ ‭
‭ Three consecutive unauthorized absences in the required activities of‬
the Government;‬
‭
(d)‬ ‭
‭ Misrepresentation of the Government and/or designated position/office;‬
(e)‬ ‭
‭ Severe or chronic abuse of discretion or authority;‬
(f)‬ ‭
‭ Malversation and/or misappropriation of finances;‬
(g)‬ ‭
‭ Forgery, falsification, or tampering of official Government or‬
University records or papers;‬
‭
(h)‬ ‭
‭ Willful destruction of property;‬
(i)‬ ‭
‭ Obstruction of justice;‬
(j)‬ ‭
‭ Contempt of court;‬
 (k)‬ ‭
‭ Violations of the College Student Handbook considered as Class A‬
offenses, as determined by the Office of Student Affairs;‬
‭
(l)‬ ‭
‭ Alarm and scandal of lawful proceedings of a body of Government or a‬
Constitutional Commission;‬
‭
(m)‬ ‭
‭ Third time of committing a petty offense; and‬
(n)‬ ‭
‭ Other acts as provided by law.‬

Section 5.‬‭
‭ Petty offenses are acts which involve violations‬‭
of law which do‬
not rise to the level of a serious offense, and shall include the following:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ Interruption of lawful proceedings of a body of Government or a‬
Constitutional Commission;‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ Failure to deliver duties and responsibilities on time either without‬
notification or without acceptable reasons causing minor interruption‬
‭
or damage to Government operations;‬
‭
(c)‬ ‭
‭ Violations of the College Student Handbook considered as Class B‬
offenses, as determined by the Office of Student Affairs; and‬
‭
(d)‬ ‭
‭ Other acts as provided by law.‬

Section 6.‬‭
‭ Upon conviction of an offense by a court, the following sanctions‬
may be applied upon the discretion of the court:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ A written warning;‬
(b)‬ ‭
‭ Community service, whose duration shall be no less than 20 hours;‬
(c)‬ ‭
‭ Temporary suspension from office;‬
(d)‬ ‭
‭ Indefinite suspension from office;‬
(e)‬ ‭
‭ Termination from office; and‬
(f)‬ ‭
‭ Other sanctions as provided by law, the College Student Handbook, the‬
Student Activities Manual, and existing laws and statutes of the‬
‭
Philippines.‬
‭

Section 7.‬‭
‭ An officer of the Government found guilty‬‭
of a serious offense‬
shall be terminated immediately after the decision.‬
‭

Section 8.‬‭
‭ Should a person be sanctioned with termination‬‭
from office by order‬
of the court, they shall be permanently disqualified to run for or hold future‬
‭
office in any capacity.‬
‭

XVI.‬ ‭
‭ General Provisions‬

Section 1.‬‭
‭ The following are considered public officials:‬
 (a)‬ ‭
‭ The members of the University Student Council, including the‬
President, the Vice President, and the Directors of the executive‬
‭
Departments;‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ The members of the College Student Council, including the Governor,‬
the Vice Governor, and the Councilors;‬
‭
(c)‬ ‭
‭ The Solicitor General and the Associate Solicitors General;‬
(d)‬ ‭
‭ The Senators;‬
(e)‬ ‭
‭ The Members of the High Court;‬
(f)‬ ‭
‭ The Members of the Constitutional Commissions; and‬
(g)‬ ‭
‭ All other officers serving in an important and public capacity.‬

Section 2.‬‭
‭ In addition to other such qualifications within this Constitution‬
for specific offices, no person shall serve as a public official unless they:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ are enrolled in an undergraduate degree program of the University;‬
(b)‬ ‭
‭ have not been sanctioned for a major disciplinary offense;‬
(c)‬ ‭
‭ have no more than two failed units in the previous and current‬
semester at the time of election; and‬
‭
(d)‬ ‭
‭ have at least one semester residency in their college and degree‬
program.‬
‭

Section 3.‬‭
‭ Unless otherwise specified in this Constitution, the term of office‬
of elected public officials shall be one academic year, and shall commence on‬
‭
the first day of the academic year following their election.‬
‭

No public official shall serve for more than two terms in the same position.‬
‭
Voluntary renunciation of a public official’s office for any length of time‬
‭
shall not be considered as an interruption in the continuity of their service‬
‭
for the full term they are elected or appointed.‬
‭

Section 4.‬‭
‭ No person shall serve in any office, appointed‬‭
or elected, under‬
the Government or in the Constitutional Commissions unless they swear an oath‬
‭
of office, administered by the Members of the High Court or by other officials‬
‭
as may be provided by law, which shall at least include the following‬
‭
declarations:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ That they will support and defend this Constitution;‬
(b)‬ ‭
‭ That they shall faithfully execute the duties of their office; and‬
(c)‬ ‭
‭ That they take this obligation freely and voluntarily, without mental‬
reservation or purpose of evasion.‬
‭

Any person required to swear an oath may instead swear an affirmation, which‬
‭
shall be considered equal to an oath.‬
‭
Section 5.‬‭
‭ No person shall serve in more than one office in the Government or‬
in the Constitutional Commissions.‬
‭

Section 6.‬‭
‭ No person serving in office in the Government shall serve more than‬
one office outside of the Government, including in any student institutions.‬
‭

No person serving in office in the Government shall serve as the head of any‬
‭
student institution.‬
‭

Section 7.‬‭
‭ No person serving in office in the Government shall serve a‬
position on a student publication.‬
‭

Section 8.‬‭
‭ Vacancy in an office of the Government shall be recognized upon the‬
resignation, removal from office, permanent disability, or death of its‬
‭
incumbent.‬
‭

Section 9.‬‭
‭ Any unelected candidate considered for‬‭
appointment to an office by‬
virtue of vacancy thereof who refuses such appointment shall thereafter not be‬
‭
considered for such appointment.‬
‭

Section 10.‬‭
‭ Staff and personnel of the Government shall not be removed unless‬
for cause and with due process;‬‭
‭ provided‬
, the right‬‭
‭ of the Government to‬
subject their staff and personnel to disciplinary proceedings and measures‬
‭
shall not be impeded.‬
‭

Section 11.‬‭
‭ Unless otherwise specified, the summer‬‭
semester shall be‬
considered as an extension of the second semester.‬
‭

Section 12.‬‭
‭ An appointed or elected officer must have‬‭
at least four months of‬
service during their term to be considered as having served their term for the‬
‭
purposes of certifying their service.‬
‭

XVII.‬ ‭
‭ Amendments and Revisions‬

Section 1.‬‭
‭ An amendment to this Constitution shall‬‭
be any alteration of any‬
provision of this Constitution that does not alter the whole principle of this‬
‭
Constitution.‬
‭

Section 2.‬‭
‭ A revision of this Constitution shall be‬‭
any alteration of any‬
provision of this Constitution that does alter the whole principle of this‬
‭
Constitution shall be referred to as a revision.‬
‭
Section 3.‬‭
‭ Any amendment to, or revision of, this Constitution may be proposed‬
by:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ The Senate, upon a three-fourths vote of all the Senators;‬
(b)‬ ‭
‭ The President and the Governors, upon a three-fourths vote in an‬
assembly called for that purpose;‬
‭
(c)‬ ‭
‭ The High Court, upon a three-fourths vote of all its Members; or‬
(d)‬ ‭
‭ A constitutional convention.‬

Section 4.‬‭
‭ A constitutional convention shall be composed of delegates‬
representing all sectors of the University studentry, and delegates from the‬
‭
Office of Student Affairs, and may be called by:‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ The Senate, upon a three-fourths vote of all the Senators; or‬
(b)‬ ‭
‭ The President and the Governors, upon a three-fourths vote in an‬
assembly called for that purpose.‬
‭

Section 5.‬‭
‭ An amendment to, or revision of, this Constitution‬‭
under the‬
provisions of Section 3 shall be approved by a three-fourths majority vote of‬
‭
an assembly consisting of:‬
‭
(a)‬
‭ The Senators;‬
‭
(b)‬
‭ The President;‬
‭
(c)‬
‭ The Governors;‬
‭
(d)‬
‭ The Members of the High Court; and‬
‭
(e)‬
‭ The Chairmen of the Constitution Commissions.‬
‭

Section 6.‬‭
‭ An amendment to this Constitution shall‬‭
be valid and ratified when‬
approved under the provisions of Section 5.‬
‭

Section 7.‬‭
‭ A revision of this Constitution shall be‬‭
valid when approved under‬
the provisions of Section 5, and ratified by a majority of the votes cast in a‬
‭
plebiscite, which shall be held not earlier than seven days or not later than‬
‭
thirty days after the approval of such amendment or revision under Section 5.‬
‭

Section 8.‬‭
‭ A ratified and valid amendment to, or revision‬‭
of, the Constitution‬
shall take effect immediately, unless otherwise specified in the amendment or‬
‭
revision.‬
‭
 XVIII.‬ ‭
‭ Transitory Provisions‬

Section 1.‬‭
‭ References to officers specified as “newly-elected” shall refer to‬
the persons elected to those positions of the previous Constitution in force‬
‭
in the election held immediately before the ratification of this‬
‭
Constitution.‬
‭

Section 2.‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ The newly-elected President shall continue in office as the President.‬
(b)‬ ‭
‭ The newly-elected Vice-President for Internal Affairs and the‬
newly-elected Vice-President for External Affairs shall both continue‬
‭
in office as concurrently serving in the office of Vice President, and‬
‭
shall be entitled to style themselves as whatever title they deem‬
‭
necessary to differentiate themselves; provided, they shall decide‬
‭
among themselves who shall be first in succession to the office of‬
‭
President.‬
‭
(c)‬ ‭
‭ The newly-elected Senators of the University Student Council shall‬
become Directors-at-Large of the University Student Council, who shall‬
‭
head no department but shall execute the powers and duties assigned by‬
‭
the Vice Presidents and the University Student Council.‬
‭
(d)‬ ‭
‭ The Directors-at-Large as designated in the previous paragraph may be‬
appointed by the President, with their consent, as the Directors of‬
‭
the executive Departments.‬
‭

Section 3.‬
‭
(a)‬ ‭
‭ The newly-elected Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons of the College‬
Student Councils shall become the Governors and Vice Governors of the‬
‭
College Student Councils, respectively.‬
‭
(b)‬ ‭
‭ The newly-elected Councilors of the College Student Councils shall‬
become Councilors-at-Large of their College Student Council, who shall‬
‭
head no ministry but shall execute the powers and duties assigned by‬
‭
the Vice Governor and the College Student Council.‬
‭
(c)‬ ‭
‭ The Councilors-at-large as designated in the previous paragraph may be‬
appointed by the Governor, with their consent, to head a Committee.‬
‭

Section 4.‬‭
‭ For the academic year immediately after‬‭
this Constitution’s‬
ratification, the President and the Governors shall have the power to‬
‭
reorganize their respective Councils, including the establishment of new‬
‭
Departments and Committees, and the appointment of Directors-at-Large and‬
‭
Ministers-at-Large to senior positions under a Department or Committee.‬
‭
Section 5.‬‭
‭ The College Student Councils, upon the ratification of this‬
Constitution, shall appoint the following, subject to the qualifications of‬
‭
those offices:‬
‭
(a)‬‭
‭ the Associate Solicitor General, pursuant to Section 3 of Article V;‬
(b)‬
‭ a Senator to serve at-large, who may be from any College; and‬
‭
(c)‬
‭ a Senator to serve their College, from their respective College.‬
‭

Section 6.‬‭
‭ For the academic year immediately after this Constitution’s‬
ratification, the Student Councils shall not have the power to appoint‬
‭
Directors or Councilors unless the number of officers is less than specified‬
‭
by this Constitution.‬
‭

Section 7.‬‭
‭ The Chairman and the Commissioners of the‬‭
University Student‬
Elections Commission shall continue in office as the Chairman and‬
‭
Commissioners of the Commission on Elections.‬
‭

Section 8.‬‭
‭ For the academic year immediately after this Constitution’s‬
ratification, the Members of the Commission on Elections shall be authorized‬
‭
to administer oaths under Section 4 of Article XV.‬
‭

Section 9.‬‭
‭ All properties, records, equipment, buildings,‬‭
facilities, and‬
other assets of any office or body abolished or reorganized under this‬
‭
Constitution shall be transferred to the office or body to which its powers,‬
‭
functions, and responsibilities substantially pertain.‬
‭

Section 10.‬‭
‭ The President, the Governors, the Senate President, the Chief‬
Justice, and the Chairmen of the Constitutional Commission shall identify, if‬
‭
necessary, an amount to propose for collection of fees that will be the source‬
‭
of budget of their Government bodies to present in the Senate, which shall‬
‭
require ratification of the two-thirds majority of the class presidents. Fund‬
‭
collection shall start in the academic year in which the first regular‬
‭
election under this Constitution is held.‬
‭

Section 11.‬‭
‭ Upon its ratification, this Constitution‬‭
shall take effect on the‬
first day of the academic year after its ratification, unless otherwise‬
‭
specified by a proclamation of the University Student Council President within‬
‭
two months before the first day of the academic year after ratification.‬
‭

Drafted by the delegates of the Constitutional Convention.‬

‭
Prepared by:‬
‭

Patricia Ysabel Torres‬

‭
Committee Staff‬
‭

Adonis Cayanan‬
‭ Kenneth De Guzman‬
‭
Floor Officer‬
‭ Floor Officer‬
‭

Francisco Olpindo IV‬

‭ Arnold Alejo Nunag‬
‭
Co-Chairman (CSCs)‬
‭ Co-Chairman (USEC)‬
‭

Emmanuel Manalastas‬
‭
Co-Chairman (USC)‬
‭

Reviewed and Ratified by:‬

‭

Stephanie Anne P. Limpin‬

‭ John Exiquiel N. Mesina‬
‭
Chairperson, 2324 CSC-CCJEF‬
‭ Vice Chairperson, 2324 CSC-CCJEF‬
‭

Abcd Ghin Nicole R. Aguilar‬

‭ Felize Angela Q. Quives‬
‭
Chairperson, 2324 CSC-SAS‬
‭ Vice - Chairperson, 2324 CSC-SAS‬
‭

Bianca Angeline M. Raguindin‬

‭ Trisha Camille C. Montemayor‬
‭
Chairperson, 2324 CSC-SBA‬
‭ Vice - Chairperson, 2324 CSC-SBA‬
‭

Sofia Joy D. Yunun‬

‭ Francesca C. Bondoc‬
‭
Chairperson, 2324 CSC-SOC‬
‭ Vice - Chairperson, 2324 CSC-SOC‬
‭

Keanu Q. Malig‬
‭ Khrestan Reign G. Silva‬
‭
Chairperson, 2324 CSC-SEd‬
‭ Vice - Chairperson, 2324 CSC-SEd‬
‭
Clarence Khian C. Torres‬
‭ Valery Grace Guerrero‬
‭
Chairperson, 2324 CSC-SEA‬
‭ Vice - Chairperson, 2324 CSC-SEA‬
‭

Haerra Mae M. Garcia‬

‭ Alexandra Dc. Lapira‬
‭
Chairperson, 2324 CSC-SHTM‬
‭ Vice - Chairperson, 2324 CSC-SHTM‬
‭

Czarina Abigail L. Rodriguez‬

‭ Quennie Sharmaine J. Arrozal‬
‭
Chairperson, 2324 CSC-SNAMS‬
‭ Vice - Chairperson, 2324 CSC-SNAMS‬
‭

Crisse Nichole T. Cortez‬

‭ Therese Julia T. Cayanan‬
‭
Vice President for Internal Affairs,‬
‭ Vice President for External Affairs,‬
‭
2324 University Student Council‬
‭ 2324 University Student Council‬
‭

Shejanira S. Arcilla‬
‭
President, 2324 University Student Council‬
‭

Acknowledged by:‬
‭

Mr. Paul Ernest D. Carreon‬

‭ Mr. Melvin A. Layon‬
‭
Student Activities Coordinator‬
‭ Safety and Discipline Coordinator‬
‭
Office of the Student Affairs‬
‭ Office of the Student Affairs‬
‭

Ms. Iris Ann G. Castro‬

‭
Director‬
‭
Office of the Student Affairs‬
‭