EL CONSEJO ATENISTA ATENEO DE ZAMBOANGA UNIVERSITY

The 2008 Constitution Of the Consejo Atenista The Preamble We, the college students of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University, imploring the aid of the Almighty God and recognizing our inherent democratic right to pursue a government that will promote, protect and preserve our rights and interests do hereby ordain and promulgate this constitution by which instrument we establish a democratic student government of, for and by the Ateneo students. Article I Name and Seat Section 1 The student government establish under this constitution shall be known as the Consejo Atenista. It shall govern the college unit of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University. For brevity, it shall be referred to as the El Consejo. Article II Membership All bona fide college students of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University shall be members of the Consejo Atenista. Article III Declaration of Principles and Policies Section 1 The Consejo Atenista is the college supreme student government of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University and shall be the sole, unified and democratic representative body of its members. All of its powers emanate immediately from and belong ultimately to the Ateneo studentry. Such powers are exercised through the governing bodies instituted in this Constitution. The Consejo Atenista is founded on the principles of student representation, participatory democracy, accountability, and efficient and effective service. The Consejo Atenista shall defend and advance the general welfare of its members. a. The Consejo Atenista shall protect the academic rights and welfare of the students. b. The Consejo Atenista shall establish essential, effective and adequate student services. c. The Consejo Atenista shall foster the academic, social, cultural, political and religious life of the students d. The Consejo Atenista shall cooperate with the school administration, teachers, non-teaching personnel and other sectors of the school in promoting academic freedom, peace, equality and justice for the studentry.

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EL CONSEJO ATENISTA ATENEO DE ZAMBOANGA UNIVERSITY

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The Consejo Atenista shall abide by the rules and regulations of the school and the law of the state. The Consejo Atenista shall: a. Serve as an active avenue and means to address student ideas and sentiments to university stakeholders. b. At all times strive to unite with the various sectors of society in pursuit of common student interests

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The Consejo Atenista adheres to the policy of objectivity and transparency to its members in carrying out its functions.

Article IV The Executive Branch Section 1 The chief executive power shall be vested on the president of the Consejo Atenista. No person shall be elected president unless he or she: a. has been enrolled in the regular semesters of the previous school year b. is currently enrolled in ADZU c. has not been sanctioned for any serious offense by the school d. has no record of criminal and or civic offense e. is a Filipino citizen f. is not under academic probation g. will be enrolled in the regular semesters during his term Section 3 There will be a vice-president who shall act as the president whenever the president is incapable of performing his duties, and who shall fulfill the responsibilities assigned to him by the president within the latters powers. The qualifications of the vice-president shall be the same as those of the president. Both president and vice-president shall be elected at a large during the second week of February every year and shall be sworn into office a week after the by the head of the judicial branch. The term of the president and the vice-president will be from the day they swore into office until the induction day of the newly elected officers. For the positions of the president and vice-president, no person shall hold office for more than two terms. If a person assumes an office for more than six (6) months, to which some other person was elected, it shall be considered one (1) term. The president shall have the following powers and responsibilities:

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EL CONSEJO ATENISTA ATENEO DE ZAMBOANGA UNIVERSITY

a. Supervise and direct the administration of the laws passed by the Board of College Governors b. Pass proposals to the university stakeholders (i.e. university offices and the students) c. Implement and uphold the Book of Executive Mandates d. Appoint and remove officials of the different executive departments e. In control of all executive departments, commissions, and other divisions f. Represent the student body in the university administrations meeting and decision making processes g. Appoint the members of the Judicial Council, the AELECOM, and the Ombudsman h. Veto power i. Prepare budget for the Executive Department j. May certify a bill as urgent and submit to the Board of College Governors for deliberation k. Accept resignation of the Chief Justice and the Chairman of the Board of College Governors Section 8 The vice-president shall have the following powers and responsibilities: a. Assist the president in the administration of the laws passed by the Board of College Governors b. Pass proposals to the university stakeholders (i.e. university offices and the students) as approved by the President c. Implement and uphold the Book of the Executive Mandates d. Submit recommendations to the president e. Represent the student body in the university administrations meeting and decision making process f. Will head and preside over the sessions of the Council of Leaders Section 9 In case of vacancy in the office of the president, the vice-president shall assume the office of the president and shall be duly sworn into office In case of vacancy in the office of the vice-president, the chairman of the Board of College Governors shall assume the office of the vice-president and shall be duly sworn into office. In case of vacancies in both the positions of the president and the vice-president, the chairman of the Board of College Governors shall act as the president until a new president and vice-president will be elected through a special election.

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Article V Board of College Governors Section 1 Section 2 The legislative power shall be vested on the Board of College Governors The Board shall be composed of all the academic organization presidents and vice-president from each of the following divisions: Accountancy Department, Business Management Department, College of Education, College of Science and Information Technology, College of Nursing, School of Liberal Arts and all other divisions that will be legitimately created and recognized in the same manner by the University hereafter. No person shall be a member of the board unless he or she:

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EL CONSEJO ATENISTA ATENEO DE ZAMBOANGA UNIVERSITY

a. Has been duly elected as the academic organization president and vicepresident of his or her respective division and Has been enrolled in the regular semesters of the previous school year b. Is enrolled in the ADZU c. Has been sanctioned for any serious offense by the school d. Has no record of any criminal or civic offense e. Is a Filipino citizen f. Is not under academic probation g. Will be enrolled in the regular semesters during his term Section 4 The members of the Board of College Governors and their support staff shall be elected by the Students of their respective divisions during the second (2 nd) week of February every year and shall be sworn into office by the head of the judiciary a week after. In case of vacancy in the position of governor, the vice governor shall assume the position and shall be duly sworn into office. In case of vacancies in both the positions of the governor and the vice governor, a special mention will be done to fill the vacant positions. The board shall elect a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman by a majority vote of all its members. Three-fourths of the members of the board shall constitute a quorum to do business. The Board of College Governors shall have the following powers and responsibilities: a. Pass proposals to the university stakeholders (i.e. university offices and students) as approved by the Sanggunian President b. Follow faithfully the administration of the laws c. Uphold the Book of Executive Mandates and the House Rules d. Approve the modifications done by the President on the Book of Executive Mandates in a regular sessions e. Consult their respective constituents and preside meetings of their respective Academic Organizations regarding any affair that is of their interest and concern f. Implement projects and programs that will promote the general welfare of their constituents g. Represent their constituents in the Sanggunians meeting and decision making processes h. Prepare the budget for their respective college/department project in accordance to the allocated budget for the entire Legislative Branch. The project should also be approved by the Chairman of the Board i. It shall act on the appointments to the judicial council, cabinet, AELECOM, and the Ombudsman.

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EL CONSEJO ATENISTA ATENEO DE ZAMBOANGA UNIVERSITY

j. Are not allowed to be an officer or a member of any other accredited organization in ADZU. k. The vice governor has no power to vote during sessions in order to elucidate his or her distinction with that of the college governor. But the vice governor is obliged to attend all sessions to aid the college governor in decision making process. Section 10 The Chairman shall have the following powers and responsibilities: a. Preside over all sessions of the Board b. Shall assume the office of the Vice-President in case of vacancy in the said position and shall be duly sworn into office.

c. In case of vacancies in the positions of president and vice-president, the Chairman shall be duly sworn into office. d. Accept the resignation of any member of the Board. Section 11 In the absence of the Chairman of a Board, the Vice-Chairman shall preside over board sessions. No bills passed by the Board shall be ex post facto. In case of vacancy/ vacancies in the Board of College Governors, the positions shall be filled through special elections among the students of the division.

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Article VI The Support Staff Section 1 All of the officers of the academic organization of each division who are not part of the Board of College Governors will be part of the Support Staff and will be recognized as part of the Consejo Atenista. The support staff has the following powers and responsibilities: a. Assist the president of their respective academic organization in the administration of the laws passed by the Board of College Governors b. Assist the members of the Board of College Governors in the implementation of their service projects and programs c. Perform their duties and responsibilities in their respective positions in their academic organizations d. Consult their respective constituents and attend meetings of their respective Academic Organizations regarding any affair that is of their interest and concern e. Support the Consejo Atenista in the implementation of its service projects and programs. Article VII The Judicial Council Section 1 Judicial power shall be vested on the judicial council which shall be composed of five (5) justices appointed by the president- a Chief Justice and four (4) Associate Justices.

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EL CONSEJO ATENISTA ATENEO DE ZAMBOANGA UNIVERSITY

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No one shall be appointed justice of the Judicial Council unless he or she: a. b. c. d. e. f. Has been enrolled in regular semesters during the previous school year Is currently enrolled in ADZU Has not been sanctioned by the school for any serious offense Has no record of any criminal or civic offense Is not under academic probation Will be enrolled in the regular semesters during his term

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The judicial council shall have the following powers and duties: a. The power to revoke decrees and resolutions by the legislative board on the grounds of their unconstitutionality if such is contested by any member of the Consejo Atenista b. It shall be the court in which cases of impeachment and suspension of the president, vice-president, members of the legislative board, the office of the Ombudsman, and members of their own council are handled. Any member of the council facing impeachment charges shall inhibit from deliberations. c. Follow faithfully the administration of the laws d. Uphold the Book the Executive Mandates e. Accept petitions regarding the Book of Executive Mandates, and impose its decision over it f. It shall determine vacancies in any of the elective positions g. It shall prepare its budget. h. It shall forward all students complaints, regardless of its nature, to the concerned offices of the University.

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The Chief Justice shall have the following powers and responsibilities: a. b. c. d. Be the presiding judge over cases brought to the Judicial Council The duty to convene the Judicial Council as often as is necessary. Accept the resignation of any Justices. Swear into office all elected officials and members of the Judicial Council.

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All the decisions shall be made by the Council sitting en banc. All justices shall remain in office until they are no longer enrolled in the regular semesters of school, have resigned, or have been impeached. In case of vacancy in the position of Chief Justice, the president shall appoint a new Chief Justice from the remaining Justices. In case of vacancy in the position of the associate justice, a new justice will be appointed by the president.

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Article VII Ateneo Electoral Commission Section 1 There shall be an Ateneo Electoral Commission (AELECOM) composed of five (5) commissioners which shall be appointed by the president- one of whom shall be Chairperson. No person shall be appointed commissioner of the AELECOM unless he or she: a. Has been enrolled in the regular semesters during the previous school year

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EL CONSEJO ATENISTA ATENEO DE ZAMBOANGA UNIVERSITY

b. c. d. e. f. Section 3

Is currently enrolled in ADZU Has not been sanctioned by the school for any serious offense Is a Filipino citizen Is not under academic probation Will be enrolled in the regular semesters during his term

The members of the AELECOM shall submit their leave of absences (LOA) from their organizations within the last week of November. The LOA must cover the period from the time it was given until the end of elections. In the end of a special election, the members of the AELECOM shall submit their LOAs two days after the positions are officially declared vacant. The AELECOM shall have the following powers and functions: a. Exercise exclusive original jurisdiction over all contests relating to the elections returns and qualifications of elective Sanggunian officials. b. Decisions, final orders, or ruling of the AELECOM on election contests involving elective Consejo Atenista officials shall be final, executor, and not appealable c. All decisions of the AELECOM must be reached with the commission sitting en banc. d. Adopt an Election Code. e. Adopt a code of internal procedures. f. Submit a comprehensive report to the president and to the Board of College Governors on the conduct of each election. g. Recruit members of the Consejo Atenista as volunteers to assist in the conduct of elections plebiscites, referenda, and initiatives. These students shall submit their LOAs to their respective organizations three (3) school days after they become volunteers, only it they assist in an election. h. Call for a special election within one (1) week after any elective position is declared vacant by the judicial council. i. Prepare its budget.

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All AELECOM commissioners shall remain in office until they are no longer enrolled in the regular semesters of school, have resigned, or have been impeached. In case of vacancy in the position of AELECOM Chairperson, the president shall appoint a new Chairperson from among the remaining commissioners. In case of vacancy in the position of AELECOM commissioner the president shall appoint a new commissioner.

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EL CONSEJO ATENISTA ATENEO DE ZAMBOANGA UNIVERSITY

Article VIII Book of Executive Mandates Section 1 There shall be a compilation of documents called the Book of Executive Mandates. For purpose of brevity, it shall be referred to as The Mandates. The compilation shall be composed of documents of all systems and provisions implemented by the Chief Executive in the past and of the present. There shall be no department or other division created and provision implemented unless stated in The Mandates. All appointments of Executive heads, staff and other positions shall be based on The Mandates. The abolition, creation or any modification of a system or provision shall be recognized as a revision. Any revision can only be done by the President, and shall be subject to the Board of College Governors approval. Upon receipt of the proposal, the Board shall only have seven school days to deliberate and give their remark. Otherwise, the revision shall automatically be approved. The revision shall take the effect immediately one day after its approval. For purposes of documentation, all documents of abolished systems and provisions shall be kept and compiled but labeled as such in The Mandates. Revival of abolished systems and provisions shall be recognized also as a revision.

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Article IX Council of Leaders Section 1 There will be Council of Leaders which will be composed of the presidents of the co curricular and extra curricular organizations duly recognized by the Consejo Atenista and the Department of Student Affairs. The Council shall serve as forum for interaction between the Consejo Atenista and the different organizations in the campus. The Council may propose bills to be submitted to the Board of College Governors for deliberation. The Council shall be headed by the Vice-President of the Consejo Atenista who shall be the ex officio Chairperson. The Chairperson shall convene the Council a month after the beginning of the first semester. Thereafter, the Council shall meet at least twice every semester.

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Article X Impeachment Section 1 The President, the Vice-President, members of the Board of College Governors, members of the Support Staff, the Judicial Council, Commissioners of the AELECOM, and the Ombudsman may be removed from office on impeachment for culpable violations of this Constitution, being placed under academic probation, betrayal of the students trust, bribery, malversation of funds, destruction in any civil or criminal court, and committing any serious offense as defined in the student manual.

EL CONSEJO ATENISTA ATENEO DE ZAMBOANGA UNIVERSITY

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Any member of the Consejo Atenista may initiate a case of impeachment. A written complaint shall be presented to the Board of College Governors which shall deliberate on its merits and come up with a position within seven (7) school days from receipt thereof. If, by a vote of (3/4) of all its members, the Board decides to pursue the case, it shall form a committee composed of three members of the Board who shall then file a case of impeachment before the Judicial Council. The Judicial Council shall have the sole power to try and decide all cases of impeachment. The Council should begin court proceedings within three (3) weeks.

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Article X Amendments Section 1 The Board of College Governors by vote of three-fourths (3/4) of all its members may propose amendments to or revision of this constitution. The students, through an initiative, may, upon a petition of at least twenty percent (20%) of the entire community. a. Propose amendments to this constitution. b. Submit a list of twelve (12) students to comprise a constitutional convention to propose revision to this constitution. Section 3 Any amendment to or revision of this constitution under Section 1 hereof shall be valid when ratified by a three-fourths (3/4) majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite which shall be held not later than two (2) weeks after the approval of such amendment or revision. Any amendment of this constitution under Section 2 hereof shall be valid when ratified by three-fourth (3/4) majority of the vote cast in a plebiscite which shall be held not later than two (2) weeks after the certification under Section 2 hereof shall be valid when ratified by three-fourth (3/4) majority of votes cast in a plebiscite. No amendments to or revisions of this constitution shall be made until two (2) years after its ratification.

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Article XI General Provisions Section 1 All official documents shall be posted on the Consejo Atenista bulletin board immediately. No withdrawals of funds shall be made unless all three (3) heads of the different branches of government have affixed their signatures on the budget proposal. In order to approve the budget/s of each branch of government all three (3) heads of the different branches of government must occur, except only in the case of the AELECOMs budget which once approved by the Board of College Governors should be released within three (3) working days. The President, the Chairman of the Board of College Governors, and the Chief Justice shall, one (1) week before elections, submit their respective financial

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EL CONSEJO ATENISTA ATENEO DE ZAMBOANGA UNIVERSITY

reports to a CPA faculty member selected by the Ombudsman and renummerated with Consejo Atenista funds. The audited reports should be posted on the Consejo Atenista bulletin three (3) days before the new set of officers are to sworn in they also must submit their respective inventories to the Ombudsman. Section 5 There shall be an Ombudsman who shall have the same qualification as that of the AELECOM Commissioners and who shall be appointed in the same manner. The Ombudsman should not hold any positions in any of the three branches of the Consejo Atenista for purposes of objectivity and transparency in his endeavors. He shall begin to take appropriate action against any head of the three (3) branches of government if there are any discrepancies in the audited financial reports and inventories of the Consejo Atenista properties before the new set of officers are sworn in. No officer of the Consejo Atenista may be a member of the Editorial Board of the Beacon News Magazine. All Consejo Atenista officers, except the Commissioners of the AELECOM and the Ombudsman may not hold office in any other recognized student organization.

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