NEW USC VP TAKES OATH
by Ambrielle Zeferino
THIRD YEAR Psychology student Castiel Seville is the new vice president of the University Student Council (USC).
On Wednesday, USC President Priam Torres announced Seville as his new pick for the vice presidency. The VP spot became vacant after the resignation of Valeria Encarnacion who was involved in the coercion scandal that led to her and Torres' impeachment trial.
The Legislative-Executive Committee (LEXECOM), acting as the Committee on Appointments, confirmed Seville's nomination in a rare unanimous consensus on Thursday. LEXECOM Chair Pro Tempore Alaric Esteban, leader of the opposition and the majority bloc, said they voted to confirm the appointment out of courtesy to the USC.
"The USC and my bloc may not see eye to eye, but we respect the constitutional prerogative of the presidency," Esteban said in an interview. "If the new [vice president] commits any impeachable offense like the previous one, we won't think twice of exercising our committee's constitutional powers."
Seville took oath Friday morning before Torres and the rest of the USC.
As vice president, Seville will preside over the LEXECOM and is now first in the line of presidential succession. He formerly served as the USC chief-of-staff who got dragged in the coercion scandal along with Encarnacion.
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