Professional Documents
Culture Documents
THE CONSTITUTION
PREAMBLE
Section 1. The UP POLITICA is an organization exclusively for Political Science majors of the
University who shall be engaged in the genuine study of Political Science as a discipline.
Section 2. The UP POLITICA shall be a non-sectarian, non-partisan (except when the consensus of
the general membership supports an endeavor concerning the interests of its members), non-profit,
academic-professional organization which supports no single ideological framework and whose
primary aim is to develop and encourage the study of the discipline.
Section 3. The UP POLITICA believes in the Political Science student as an active instrument of
social change and thus provides venues for the proper utilization of these individuals through its
academics and external activities and its training programs.
Section 4. The UP POLITICA shall promote the interest of Political Science students in the
University.
Section 5. The UP POLITICA Believes and adheres to the principles of democracy and social
justice.
Section 1. Only bona fide Political Science majors of the University who adhere to and believe in the
organizations principles and objectives (refer to Article II), and who are eligible as provided by the
Internal Committee, are qualified for membership and application.
a. A regular member of the organization is one who is enrolled and has renewed
his/her membership for the semester, or has been newly inducted as provided by
the Internal Committee.
b. An irregular member is one who has not renewed his/her membership for the
semester or has been suspended according to the rules and provisions stated in
Article V, Section 1 of this constitution. A member is only allowed irregular
member status for a maximum of two (2) non-consecutive semesters during his/her
stay in the University. If he/she exceeds this allowable period, he/she needs
approval of the Executive Council (from hereon referred to as the Execon) to be
eligible for renewal for the next possible semester.
c. An inactive member is one who has renewed his/her membership at the beginning
of the semester, but due to personal circumstances is unable to fulfill the duties of a
regular member (refer to Article III, Section 5) for the duration of the semester. A
member may file for inactive status only within the first thirty (30) days of the
semester through a formal letter to the Internal Committee stating the reasons for
the member’s inactivity for the semester. Granting of inactive status is based on the
grounds, rules, and consequent approval of the Internal Committee. A member is
only allowed inactive status for a maximum of two (2) non-consecutive semesters
during his stay in the University. If he/she exceeds the allowable period of inactive
status, he/she may no longer file for the said status.
d. The alumnus/alumna is one who has graduated from the University, finished their
degree in political science, and who has been a regular member for at least one
semester during his/her stay in the University, and has finished the required thirty
(30) hours in the training programs set by the Training Committee.
e. An honorary member is one who has rendered invaluable service to the organization
in the attainment of its objectives. Any individual may become an honorary
member upon the recommendation of the Internal Committee and the consequent
approval of the Execon. An honorary member has the privilege to be invited to
selected activities of the organization.
All regular members of the organization shall enjoy the following rights:
Section 6. A member can file for inactivity only on the following grounds:
All grounds should be fully justified to the Internal Committee and subject to their approval.
Section 7. Inactive members waive all their rights, duties and privileges except:
Section 1. Any member who believes that a transgression or unconstitutional act has been done
against himself/herself, or another member may file a complaint to the Internal Committee or the
Execon, in case the complaint concerns the Internal Committee or its members.
a. Any regular member filing a complaint against another member must present a
formal letter to the Internal Committee (or the Execon) describing the reason for
the complaint, as well as providing evidence in support of its claims. The member
filing the complaint must meet with the relevant body not later than two (2) class
days upon filing for consultation to clarify and justify the complaint.
b. In the event that a complaint id filed by or against a member(s) of the body
designated to investigate and deliberate it, the concerned member(s) will be
excluded from carrying on and participating in the said functions of that body and
shall instead be replaced by a member of the substitute body chosen by majority
vote of the remaining members of the designated body.
c. Should the relevant investigating body find that the complaint has merit, it shall meet
with and hear responses the member(s) against whom the complaint is directed not
later than two (2) class days upon consultation with the complainant.
d. The designated body shall, within two (2) class days after the period of deliberation,
release a formal statement containing its findings and decision on the complaints,
and shall provide the conditions for the final settlement of the parties concerned.
e. In the event that the investigating body is unable to act on the complaint or meet the
requirements for this procedure due to a lack of cooperation on the part of either
the parties concerned, it can release its statement and make a decision based on all
the current evidence available. Should the lack of progress in the resolution of the
complaint be due to the ineffectiveness and/or lack of initiative on the part of the
investigating body, the member filing the complaint can appeal to the GA to
delegate the resolution of the complaint to an ad hoc committee to be formed
specifically for that purpose.
Section 1. Any member or officer of the organization may be suspended, impeached, or expelled,
upon proper investigation and with sound evidence, according to the following process:
Any officer may file for resignation, only in writing, to the Execon, which shall present his/her
resignation to the GA. The resigning officer shall hold office until his/her successor or replacement
shall have assumed his/her post.
Section 1. All regular members (refer to Article III Section 3a) of the organization shall compose the
General Assembly (also referred to as the GA).
Section 2. The schedule of GAs shall be agreed upon during the first GA held one week into the
start of classes every regular semester. The GA shall convene at least once every month of the
semester.
Section 3. The general membership through the GA shall be informed of the affairs of the
organization as spearheaded by the various committees. Decision-making at the level of the GA
shall only take place when a particular committee has voluntary put a matter of policy to a vote or
when the agenda out forth by the committee generates substantial dissent from the membership.
Section 4. In the event that the GA is called upon to exercise its decision-making functions, it will
effectively have power:
Section 6. In the event that there is an absence of a quorum but the need for immediate resolution
of a matter that cannot be postponed until another GA can be held, a majority vote of the members
present during the GA can render a decision on the matter – provided that the number of members
present is not less than one-third (1/3) of all regular members. The decision must be made known
to the rest of the members not later than one class day after the GA was held.
Section 1. The organization shall be headed by a council of five: the Academic Committee head (also
referred to as the Acadcom), the External Committee head, the Finance Committee head (also
referred to as the Fincom), the Internal Committee head, and the Programs Director for Training,
who shall serve a tenure of one academic year. They shall take charge of their respective committees
and comprise the Executive Council (also referred to as the Execon) of UP POLITICA.
Section 2. Before they are inducted into office, they shall elect among themselves a Speaker and an
Assistant Speaker, whose duties are mentioned in Article VIII of this constitution and whose tenure
shall coincide with that of their positions as head of their respective committees.
Section 3. A Secretary and Assistant Secretary shall also be appointed by the Council not more than
three (3) days after the election. They shall perform specific duties as stated in Article VIII of this
constitution.
Section 4. The members of the Execon are of equal standing and rank, and thus possess equal
weight of voting in decision-making.
Section 5. Members of the Execon exercise autonomy from each other with regards to decisions
made within their respective committees. These decisions however, must be made known to the
Execon before implementation and may be overruled by a majority vote of the Execon.
Section 6. Decisions made at eh committee level that are overruled by the Execon must be brought
up before the GA and subject to its votes.
Section 7. Committee decisions are not subject to a vote of approval from the Executive Council
but can be opposed through a majority vote of the Executive Council. Upon the occurrence of such
opposition by the majority of the Executive Council, the same issue could be brought up in a
general assembly and subject to a vote by the general membership.
ARTICLE VIII. POWERS AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1. The Speaker, or Assistant Speaker if the case so warrants, shall stand as representative of
the Executive Council and the organization both within and outside the organization of the
University.
Section 2. Within the Executive Council, the Speaker and the Assistant Speaker have equal standing
with the other committee heads as manifested by the equal weight of their votes in decision-making.
The Speaker and the Assistant Speaker have no power whatsoever to act independently of the
Executive Council.
Section 4. The Assistant Speaker shall in the absence or incapacity of the Speaker temporarily
assume all duties stated above except the following:
a. take note of the attendance of each member in every meeting and activity of the
organization
b. upon the absence or incapacity of the Secretary, take-on all tasks assigned to the
Secretary
c. perform all other functions as may be assigned to him or her by the Executive
Council.
Section 8. The Academic Committee Head shall perform the following duties:
a. supervise the performance of all functions required to the Academic Committee and
his/her committee members as stated in Article IX, Section 3 of this constitution
b. serve as the mediator between the organization and the Department of Political
Science of the University in an effort to make the department more student-
oriented and help the department disseminate relevant information.
Section 9. The External Committee Head shall stand as the PRO of the organization and as such
perform the following duties:
a. supervise the performance of all functions required to the External Committee and
his/her committee members as stated in Article IX, Section 4 of this constitution
b. serve as the main contact person of the organization to other organizations,
institutions or agencies within and outside the University
c. take charge of the organization’s participation in freshmen orientation programs and
handling of freshmen blocks.
Section 10. The Finance Committee Head shall serve as the treasurer of the organization and as
such, shall perform the following duties:
a. supervise the performance of all functions required to the Finance Committee and
his/her committee members as stated in Article IX, Section 5 of this constitution
b. sign all documents with regards monetary transactions of the organization
c. release and post a statement of account with every issue of the organization’s
newsletter.
Section 11. The Internal Committee Head shall serve as the Sergeant-at-Arms of the organization
and as such perform the following duties:
a. supervise the performance of all functions required to the Internal Committee and
his/her committee members as stated in Article IX, Section 6 of this constitution
b. preside over disciplinary cases except those filed against the Internal Committee or
the Internal Committee Head
c. act as the head of Disciplinary Board and enforce rules regarding the duties of each
member as stated in Article III, Section 5 of the Constitution.
Section 12. The Programs Director for Training shall perform the following duties
a. supervise the performance of all the functions required to the Training Committee
and his or her committee members as stated in Article IX, Section 7 of this
constitution
b. coordinate with the Internal Committee regarding the training schedules of members
Section 13. All Committee Heads shall perform any other function as may be assigned to them by
the Executive Council.
Section 14. All Committee Heads shall have the prerogative to appoint their respective secretaries
from among the members of their respective committees.
Section 15. The Committee Secretary shall have the following functions:
a. assist his or her committee head in all his or her committee duties
b. inform the committee members regarding committee meetings
c. record the minutes of every committee meetings
d. check the attendance of committee members in all meetings and activities within or
outside the committee
e. perform other functions as may be assigned by his or her committee head.
Section 16. The Committee Heads shall conduct the drafting of membership during the last week of
classes every regular semester the process of which is specified in Article IX, Section 1. Committee
membership during summer classes will adopt the draft made for the succeeding first semester.
Section 17. The newly inducted Executive Council should prepare their General Plan of Action and
calendar of activities for the entire academic year within the month of April. The details of this shall
be made open for the discussion with the general membership in a General Assembly to be held one
week before the start of classes of the first semester of the pertained academic year.
Section 18. The Executive Council shall evaluate each of the activities of the different committees
and the organization after they have taken place.
ARTICLE IX. COMMITTEES
Section 1. Members of each committee shall be determined through a drafting process by the
Committee Heads. Drafting of regular committee membership of every regular semester shall
proceed as follows:
a. members shall voluntarily enlist in three committees in which they want to serve in
the nest semester
b. upon expiration of the enlistment period, any member who failed to enlist are
considered free lancers and may be drafted into any of the five committees
c. officers shall then draw lots to determine the order of drafting
d. according to this determined order of drafting the Committee Heads shall take turns
in choosing their committee members
e. the Executive Council shall release the official committee membership for the
following semester on the next class day
Section 2. The Finance, Internal, Training committees should create a new or adopt the current set
of committee by-laws before the start of the first semester. The Academic and External Committees
should formulate or adopt current committee guidelines concerning committee operations before
the start of the first semester.
a. provide a library consisting of material (i.e. readings, books, sample exams) helpful to
Political Science majors in the pursuit of the discipline
b. produce a publication, under the supervision of the Editorial Board, at least once
every regular semester, as a means of further promulgation of awareness among
students
c. conduct review classes when demand necessary or when requested, open to all
Political Science students
d. organize symposiums, information dissemination campaigns, and other fora for
discussion of political events, both within and outside the University to enhance
awareness regarding political issues and events
e. foster good academic relations with other organizations inside and outside the
University
f. serve as mediator between the organization and the Department of Political Science
of the University as part of the effort to make the department more student-
oriented and to help the department disseminate relevant information
g. perform all other tasks as may be assigned by the Executive Council
Section 4. The External Committee shall serve as the Public Relations Officer of the organization.
As such, it shall perform the following functions:
a. promote the organization and its activities inside and outside the University
b. facilitate the publicity and promotion of the different activities of the organization’s
committees
c. maintain contact with other organizations (corporate and non-corporate) that can
serve as referrals for the needs and activities of the organization
d. promote good social working relations with different organizations and persons
e. serve as the overall coordinator and supervisor of the POLITICA Alumni
Association
f. facilitate the organization’s participation in freshmen orientation programs and block
handling
g. organize activities, (i.e. sportsfest, outreach, Christmas parties) to complement and
enhance the socio-civic awareness of the organization’s members
h. perform all other duties as may be assigned by the Executive Council
Section 5. The Finance Committee shall perform all financially-related tasks of the organization
such as:
Section 6. The Internal Committee shall serve as the Disciplinary Board of the organization and as
such shall perform the following duties:
a. supervise all disciplinary cases, except those filed against the Internal Committee as
specified in Article IV of this constitution
b. determine the punishment and sanctions proper for delinquent members as stated in
its by-laws
c. strictly implement rules and regulations stated in this constitution
d. be open to complaints and grievances of members on matters pertaining to the
organization
e. supervise the application process and the induction rites every semester
f. organize integrating activities to foster goodwill and good working relationships
among the organization’s members
g. oversee the performance of members through the evaluation and regular
consultation with committee heads
h. safeguard and uphold the rights and privileges of the members
i. perform all other tasks as may be assigned by the Executive Council
Section 7. The Training Committee shall serve as the Human Resource Development branch of the
organization and as such shall perform the following functions:
a. establish ties with and serve as the liaison officer to different institutions or
organizations and inform the members of any available job openings in the said
institutions and organizations
b. serve as the liaison officers between the said institutions and the organization
c. draw up training and volunteer programs in cooperation with the different
institutions or organizations
d. establish contacts with NGOs, GOs, communities and other institutions that can
serve as training and volunteer venues for its members
e. assess the performance of the members under training and evaluate the effectiveness
of the concerned institution as a training venue
f. recommend sanctions to the Internal Committee regarding delinquent trainees
g. recommend training schedules of members according to the availability of the
members and the concerned institutions
h. perform all other tasks as may be assigned by the Executive Council
Section 1. The alumnae association of UP POLITICA shall be known as the POLITICA Alumnae
Association (PAA).
Section 2. All bona fide members of UP POLITICA who qualify the alumnus/alumna status
automatically become members of the PAA upon their graduation from the Political Science
program from the University of the Philippines, Diliman.
Section 3. The members of the PAA shall elect among themselves a chairperson, who shall be in
charge of the association and who shall coordinate with the External Committee head regarding
contacts and projects.
Section 4. The PAA may hold projects independent of or in cooperation with the organization. The
organization may seek support and participation from the PAA for its own projects and activities.
Section 1. The Phoenix is the official publication of UP POLITICA. It shall be published at least
twice every regular semester, as a means of further promulgation of the organization’s goals as well
as political and social awareness among students.
Section 2. The Editorial Board of the UP POLITICA shall be composed of the Editor-in-Chief
(EIC), Associate Editor, and give (5) section editors, namely: news editor, literary editor, features
editor, opinions editor, and entertainment editor.
Section 3. The members of the Editorial Board shall have a term of one (1) year.
Section 4. The Editorial Board shall have the following functions:
a. plan the topics and assign articles to be undertaken by the writers for the publication
b. collect and edit submitted articles
c. the Editor-in-Chief (EIC), together with the Academic Committee members, shall be
in charge of the lay-outing tasks
d. be in-charge of the reproduction of this publication
Section 5. The Editor-in-Chief (EIC) shall be selected through an election to be held simultaneously
with the election of the committee heads. The election will follow the rules applied to the election of
the committee heads.
Section 6. The EIC shall draft the by-laws of the Phoenix, which will be subjected to the approval of
the majority (50% + 1) of the GA.
Section 7. Application for the positions in the Editorial Board is open to all regular members of UP
POLITICA. Applicants shall file their applications to the elected EIC.
Section 1. Elections for the next academic year shall be held two (2) weeks before the end of classes
of the second semester of the present academic year. Positions open for elections are the heads of
the different committees: Academic Committee head, External Committee head, Finance
Committee head, Internal Committee head, and Programs Director for Training; and the Phoenix
Editor-in-Chief as stated in Article 11, Section 5 of this constitution.
Section 3. The COMELEC shall be composed of eight (8) commissioners consisting of one (1)
member per available year level in the organization who are to be elected by the General Assembly;
and the remaining members who will complete the composition of eight (8) commissioners will be
endorsed by the Executive Council and be subject to the confirmation of the General Assembly.
The members shall have met the following qualifications:
Section 4. A general assembly shall be held two weeks before the scheduled elections during which
the COMELEC Commissioners shall be selected according to the provisions of Section 3. The list
of Commissioners to be endorsed by the Executive Council shall be posted a week before the
selection. Election and confirmation of COMELEC Commissioners will be done through a show of
hands by the general membership.
Section 5. The COMELEC shall have the following powers and functions:
a. supervise the entire election process including the holding of special elections until
all positions are filled
b. establish and implement its own set of by-laws which shall specify the rules and
regulations and the exact schedule of dates and deadlines for the entire electoral
process to be announced before the election period pursuant to Sections 11,12,13,14
and 15 of Article XII.
c. determine the winners through counting of ballots and announce the same to the
general membership
d. hold the induction for the newly elected officers
e. handle any protests files by any member or candidate of the organization regarding
electoral results
f. burn and dispose of the election ballots during the induction ceremonies
Section 6. Elections shall be funded by the Finance Committee under the recommendation of the
COMELEC.
Section 7. Any member of the organization may only become a bona fide candidate for office if
he/she has met the following qualifications:
Section 8. Nominations shall be held during a general assembly which will be held on any day
during the first week of the month of the elections
Section 9. The COMELEC shall decide for the day wherein the nominees shall submit a formal
letter accepting or declining the nomination, addressed to the Commission.
Section 10. The COMELEC shall reserve the right to reject or accept the candidacy of any nominee.
The COMELEC shall announce to the general membership the official list of candidates on the next
class day immediately following the filing of candidacy.
Section 11. The candidates shall present to the general membership their General Program of Action
(GPOA) for the year during a general assembly to be held at least one (1) working day before the
election.
Section 12. Elections shall be held on a Tuesday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm two (2) weeks before the
last day of class. Elections shall be closed at 4 pm of the said day.
Section 13. The counting of ballots shall be held immediately after the elections and shall be done in
public by the COMELEC.
Section 14. The official list of winners shall be announced by the COMELEC immediately after the
counting of ballot has been accomplished.
Section 15. The induction of the newly-elected officers shall be held a week before the last day of
class.
Section 16. Any protests of complaints regarding the results of the elections should be put forward
to the COMELEC within the week immediately following the release of electoral results and before
the induction.
Section 17. Guidelines on re-elections shall be stated in the by-laws of the COMELEC in case of a
failed election.
Section 18. If within an academic year a committee position is made vacant, emergency elections
shall be held not later than a week after the vacancy. The same COMELEC that served during the
elections immediately preceding the vacancy shall supervise such emergency elections, which shall
follow the same process as the regular elections.
Section 1. The general membership may in a 2/3 vote of the entire body decide to hold a general
assembly for the main purpose of deciding to amend the constitution.
Section 2. If the majority (50%=1) agrees to amending the constitution during the general assembly,
a Constitutional Commission composed of two members per year level shall immediately be selected
through a show of hands by the members for their respective year level representative in the
Commission. This Constitutional Commission (ConCom) shall seek to amend the provision
identified by the general assembly.
Section 3. The ConCom shall be given a period of one week for every article it has been assigned to
amend. A general assembly shall be held immediately after the period allotted during which the
ConCom shall present to the general membership the provisions made.
Section 4. The week following the presentation shall serve as the consultation period during which
the general membership may raise their questions and critics regarding the provisions. After the
week, a second presentation shall be made to the general membership during a general assembly in
which a plebiscite shall be held. If the majority does not agree with the provisions made, another
week is given for the consultation before a third presentation is made on a general assembly during
which the final plebiscite shall be held.
Section 5. If the majority agrees with the provisions presented, the amendments shall be
implemented immediately after the plebiscite has been held. If the majority does not accept the
provisions, then no amendments shall be implemented in the constitution.
ARTICLE XIV.
This Constitution shall be promulgated as the official constitution of UP POLITICA upon approval
of 2/3 of the general membership.
UP POLITICA – the power that be!
(Speaker, UP POLITICA)