By Jasper Miranda and Lysander Tiu
Silliman University Student Government 36th Student Assembly Majority Floor Leader Zoe Joaquin Jose Ozoa said that leadership and communication issues led to the resignation of 13 members of the floor.
He said some former Majority Floor members preferred the Independent Floor to avoid “being tied down to a certain floor,” while others cited leadership concerns and an unconducive environment.
The resignees of the Majority Floor stepped down last July 5 during its 2nd Regular Session at the Multi-purpose Room.
The Majority Floor Leader said some members were “dissatisfied with the systems he implemented” but that leadership styles change over time.
Some of these systems were the Majority Floor’s caucuses which followed the Parliamentary Procedure rules and leniency on representatives’ absences.
“Those systems were taught to me by previous representatives and majority floor leaders,” he said. “One thing that I failed to acknowledge was finding the right balance to cater to everyone.”
Ozoa also said two internal discussions were held prior to the session where “grievances were aired out and acknowledged and accountability was taken.”
“We put to a vote if they wanted a leadership change, and the Majority, almost all of them, voted to retain their current leadership. I think this is a way for them to stand firm on what they believed in,” he said.
Meanwhile, SUSG 36th Student Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Bianca Ysabel Muñoz said they allowed the representatives to think and act independently as “a reflection of values, characteristics they uphold, and who they are as student leaders.”
“Although there were resignations on the floor, we believe that it doesn’t change the fact that they are still committed to their constituents, departments, and who they are representing,” she said.
College of Arts and Sciences Representative Charles Kevin Gaitera also vacated the Committee on Appropriations (CoAp) as he was “not satisfied with the performance of the recent appropriations process.”
Budget hearing delays
The CoAp is led by Ozoa this year and screened the budget proposals of the SUSG Executive Committees. It was established during the 35th SUSG Student Assembly.
Ozoa said they were originally set to transmit their budget proposals by June 27 while deliberations were initially scheduled for July 1.
However, he said the submission deadline was moved back three times on the SUSG Executive Committees’ end, pushing the budget deliberation on July 3.
“I personally was disoriented with everything because everything was supposed to be set on the 1st of July. The three deadlines kind of shook things up for my members and me,” Ozoa said.
Meanwhile, SUSG Finance Committee Chairperson AJ Ramirez said they requested the extensions because several SUSG chairpersons needed more time due to ongoing revisions, internal consultation, and the transition of newly appointed chairpersons.
“We recognize that earlier communication and coordination would have better supported the CoAp in planning the budget hearing schedule,” she said.
Ramirez also said several proposals required additional discussion beyond the ten-minute presentation period per committee which made “the original timeline difficult to sustain.”
“Some budget proposals required more extensive discussion, particularly those involving increases from previous allocations or the introduction of new initiatives,” she said.
Ozoa also explained that each of the 18 SUSG Executive Committees had a minimum of two budget proposals, with “some of them made really well and approved in less than five minutes.”
“For some who were upwards of ₱71,000 were a little bit questionable. It took us upwards of 25 minutes, so it wasn’t really because we were favoring certain committees,” he said.
The Majority Floor Leader said the delays were “not the fault of a single branch but a collective mistake” shared by the CoAp and the Executive Committees involved.
Independent bloc emerges
The 13 representatives who resigned from the Majority Floor formed the Independent Bloc which brought the total number of floors in the Assembly to three.
Calasang said the floors exist to ensure resolutions are passed systematically since multiple floors bring differing perspectives into caucuses and deliberations.
“We’re also not closing the idea of an independent bloc, because I believe if ever the majority has a resolution, the minority and the independent will have different perspectives on how the resolution will be scrutinized,” he said.
Calasang also said the Independent Bloc does not “significantly change how the Assembly currently operates,” but introduces an additional perspective into deliberation.
Meanwhile, Teves said the Executive and Legislative branches “remain separate and distinct” despite the recent developments.
Those who resigned may reapply to join the Majority or Minority floors after a cooling-off period of one session, as stipulated in the Assembly’s rules.
Independent Floor members may also sit in on the Minority Floor’s caucuses with the floor leader’s permission, while returning to the Majority Floor remains an option for those who resigned.
