‘Within this month’: CLACSG warns impeachment for USG acting pres

In a statement released last August 28, the College of Liberal Arts and Communication Student Government (CLACSG) called out University Student Government (USG) Acting President Jason Real due to noncompliance with the newly enforced USG Constitution.

“We are just calling them (USG) out kasi ang dami na naming sinabi personally—‘bakit ganito, bakit ganiyan’ pero hindi nila nasasagot nang matino, na up to this day hindi kumpleto ‘yung mga positions namin [sa USG],” CLACSG Governor Charliemagne Asuncion said. 

Analogous to their statement which reads “it is our last resort to call for impeachment,” Asuncion warns Real for impeachment “within this month,” expressing that if there will be no resolution after the USG releases its counterstatement, they will be rolling out the impeachment.

The HERALDO FILIPINO has reached out USG Acting President Jason Real for an interview, but he refused to give a statement.

Lack of communication

Among the reasons the CLACSG issued the statement was the lack of preparation (such as excuse letters and logistics)  for the campus-wide parade and mass during the University opening week.

Hence, there were instances that professors posted on social media about students not being able to attend classes without prior notice.

“And there is one incident that our college chair, sir Artin Umali from CJD, called us and asked us for a letter, and to my surprise I didn’t know the USG didn’t give us any,” Asuncion recalled. “It was a near disaster for us because we got called out for something that is not our fault in the first place.”

Constitution seminar

Moreover, there have been requests from the CLACSG for the USG to conduct a University-wide seminar to further explain the constitution prior to the start of the academic year, Asuncion added.

“We already talked with the President (Marvy Gomez) that if they will not release a fast seminar regarding University-wide constitution, the Political Science Program Council will release a statement about them.”

The CLACSG statement states that “there are executive orders that were implemented despite the students’ outcry to understand the constitution first.”

Legislative Department

Among other concerns, the CLACSG clarifies that the House of Representative speaker and Senate president pro tempore were “not legally sworn” in conformance to the Constitution. 

“Hindi bumoto ‘yung House of Representatives and Congress (Senate) kusa na lang sila nagkaroon ng president pro tempore at house speaker,” Asuncion explained. “Actually, walang process na nangyari, nagulat ‘yung House of Rep and Senate na [biglang] nagkaroon.”

In stark contrast to Article V, Legislative Department, provisions Section 4 and Section 9, which states that “The House of Representatives (HOR) will choose its speaker…” and “The Senate shall choose their other officers, and a President Pro Tempore, in absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the University Student Government,” respectively.

Despite members of the HOR passing qualifications for the position, the USG did not undergo a process to update applicants, and did not respond to application inquiries on social media.

On August 31, USG posted that they will issue a statement addressing the issues, however, as of press time, they are yet to release the statement.

Addressing the concerns raised by the CLACSG, a meeting between CLACSG and USG and their advisers, along with one representative from each CLAC program councils, is scheduled on September 11.