Two semesters in and halfway through the academic year, the Holy Angel University Student Government (HAUSG), particularly its Senate, continues to devalue the very core of student-leadership—running away from scrutiny, and holding their positions merely for titular reasons with incompetence and lack of accountability at the center of their service.
Displayed through multiple attempts by the press to attain responses from the HAUSG Senate regarding some of their actions, the said student-government branch has continually placed itself in the dark, evading and avoiding queries from the student press.
Not only do these actions expose their inability to be accountable, but they also demonstrate that they have no place in the student government.
With the university functioning as a microcosm of a society, reflecting the complexities, structures, and challenges found in the broader world—our nation. Within Holy Angel University, this concept comes to life through its community, comprising individuals with varied beliefs, ideologies, experiences, and backgrounds.
This also extends to the student government, which holds certain duties and responsibilities that they must fulfill in serving the studentry. According to the 2024 Constitution of HAUSG, the Senators are recognized as public officials.
In line with the Republic Act No. 6713 of the Philippines, public officials shall “be accountable to the people and shall discharge their duties with utmost responsibility, integrity, competence, and loyalty, act with patriotism and justice, lead modest lives, and uphold public interest over personal interest.”
Furthermore, under government and press relations, the HAUSG Constitution mandates that “a collaborative relationship must be maintained between the Government and the student publications for the common good of the University studentry.”
An institution that labels itself as a “student government,” is expected to adhere to the standards and responsibilities that define any legitimate government. These so-called “senators,” in order to practice accountability, must first be willing to address the queries of the press or media, who represent the voice of the community, because they owe it to the people.
To put things into perspective, the HAUSG senators hold legislative power, enabling them to craft, deliberate, and pass laws and resolutions that govern the operations of the student government. Given this heavy responsibility, evasion of accountability sets a precedence of negligence, where decisions are made without proper consideration or justification, questioning from the public eye, leading to a grave potential misuse of power.
If they fail to uphold this basic practice of accountability, then they have no place in the student government. The question then arises: what are they joining the Senate for? It prompts reflection on whether their motivations are rooted in a genuine dedication to serving the student body or driven by the allure of the title and the prestige associated with it.
The HAUSG Senate, as public officials, must recognize that transparency and accountability are not optional. Their position leaves no room for playing a game of tag with the press.
After all, they are not placed on a pedestal above the press or the student body but are meant to be on the ground, standing alongside the rest of the studentry. Therefore, it is time to start answering questions, no matter how tough or simple they may be.
The time of evading the press is over. The Angelite studentry deserves a government that works for them and with them, not one that hides from its duties. If the Senate continues to evade its obligations to the press—and, by extension, to the student body—it is not only right but imperative to call them out and demand for a student government that will actually fulfill the responsibilities the current one is neglecting.
