29 officials of the University Student Government (USG)’s Executive Branch (EB) filed resignations in recent weeks, leaving the cabinet almost empty and without a President and Vice President for the first time in University history.

The majority of the resignations were not formally announced, except those of the two highest-ranking officials, former USG President John Andrei Vito and Vice President (VP) David John Miguel Suva, who resigned effective December 2 and 1, respectively.

As of press time, the USG has yet to issue an official announcement explaining the departures or outlining plans to fill the vacant positions.

Ineffective leadership

In an interview, Suva attributed the other 27 officials’ resignation to ineffective leadership and the collapse of internal governance within the EB.

“I believe, and I acknowledge, and I take full accountability also as the second-highest elected [official] of the USG, that our administration is not effective anymore. Number two, the entire internal process—internal governance of the USG—ay bumabagsak na rin,” he explained.

According to Suva, several cabinet members grew frustrated with the lack of consultation and poor internal communication, particularly on decisions that required coordination with the cabinet secretaries. This, he said, fueled perceptions that top leaders acted independently rather than collaboratively.

He added that the President often worked alone and that the lack of regular updates, especially in dealings with the De La Salle University – Dasmariñas (DLSU-D) administration, further strained relations within the EB. Officials questioned why they were “being asked only kapag may problema na,” instead of being involved earlier in decision-making.

“Sorry, ayoko sana magsalita on his behalf. Pero in my perspective, the former President kasi tends to work on his own. So parang kapag kaya na niya doon, hindi na siya nanghihingi ng tulong… I wouldn’t say that it’s a good thing kasi kaya nga may tao—magtutulungan tayong lahat,” the former VP said.

Suva said many officials resigned because they felt the direction of the government no longer aligned with their principles. He emphasized that the resignations were neither isolated nor abrupt, but a pattern tied to deteriorating trust in his and former President Vito’s administration.

“Ang problema natin dito ay ang executive part. So sa sunod-sunod na pangyayari, I personally asked the President na, ‘Are we really delivering the progress that we try to give to the students?’” he admitted.

Resignation timeline and Suva’s narrative

Suva said resignation letters began surfacing as early as August, starting with Interim Secretary of Treasury Ullysis Grant Valle. The departures unfolded “phase by phase,” he said.

By the time Suva tendered his resignation, he estimated that more than 15 officials had already left their posts.

“I acknowledge that our administration is not effective anymore, and it’s about time we step down and take accountability because the service they deserve is not being delivered anymore,” Suva revealed, emphasizing that his decision was grounded in accountability rather than personal conflict, and believing leadership change was necessary to stabilize operations and restore trust among remaining officers.

Suva resigned on December 1, and Vito followed a day later, immediately after the Legislative Branch publicized an impeachment complaint.

He had been urging Vito to step down as early as late November. Vito initially delayed his decision while considering the question of succession and had not yet settled on a date to vacate the position.

“As early as November katapusan, nakikiusap na ako kay Andrei na tama na, bumitaw na tayo,” Suva shared.

He described the situation within the EB as increasingly unsolvable, with remaining officials unable to handle the responsibilities left behind, which contributed to his sense that the administration had reached a critical point of dysfunction.

Although he initially considered assuming the presidency to maintain continuity, Suva ultimately decided against it, citing shared accountability with Vito for the administration’s shortcomings. They agreed to resign as a joint response to the leadership crisis, acknowledging that the scale of the problem was beyond what any single official could resolve.

With most officials gone before the impeachment filing, Executive Secretary Trinity Gallamporte became the highest-ranking official in the EB, creating a leadership vacuum just as the impeachment proceedings began.

Lack of transparency on procedures

Despite constitutional mandate for full public disclosure, the USG did not release any public announcements detailing the sequence of resignations, which Suva acknowledged as an oversight stemming from leadership’s failure to fully recognize the scale of the internal issues early on.

“Ang akin sana, kailangan ma-approve muna ‘yung resignation ko bago ako lumabas sa media. And at that time, I can’t insinuate, but I believe it’s highly political—the impeachment timing was highly political,” he shared.

When asked why vacant positions were not publicly opened, Suva explained that undersecretaries and assistant secretaries were first asked to step up.

Legislative body’s perspective

On December 2, College of Information and Computer Studies (CICS) Senator Asher Alegre came to The HERALDO FILIPINO for an exclusive interview.

“I believe that the USG, specifically the Executive Branch, has not been fully transparent about the composition and the current status of its execution of Acts of Congress,” said Alegre.

He warned that the vacancies could hinder the execution of Acts of Congress, particularly since department secretaries are essential for implementing programs and activities.

“If we knew that there would be problems when it comes to the machinery within the Executive Branch, then we would have thought twice as to how big or what kind of budget would have been provided by the Congress,” he said.

The senator described the situation as a potential leadership crisis and urged greater transparency.

“This is a clarion call for the President—President Vito—for him to be transparent to the student body, and to present any and all documents pertinent to why this was the case. Why are there so many resignations? Because this doesn’t only affect the Executive Branch, it also affects the Legislative Branch, this affects the whole student body,” Alegre urged.

Impeachment complaint vs Vito

On the evening of December 2, a formal impeachment complaint against former USG President Vito was filed with the House of Representatives (HoR) on the grounds of malversation of student funds, gross dishonesty, negligence of duty, culpable violation of the USG Constitution, and gross inability to perform presidential functions.

Deputy Speaker Lian Alistair Cordova, the complainant, said the impeachment was necessary after repeated attempts to privately address the issues with Vito were met with unresponsiveness and office bypasses.

“The timing is not politically motivated,” Cordova emphasized, adding that the complaint focuses only on the most pressing concerns that affect accountability. This contradicts the assumption former VP Suva made, who stated that the timing of the complaint’s release might be politically motivated.

Cordova assured the student body that the impeachment process followed all proper channels and procedures, and clarified that the impeachment leaves room for Vito to respond, clarify, and formally account for the alleged lapses.

“We’re giving you the arena to explain yourself. So, you know, if walang nangyaring gano’n, just say it. Provide the counter affidavit of the case that we filed. It’s as simple as that. We’re not, we’re not ano… I mean estudyante rin naman ako, naiintindihan ko naman kung ano’ng nangyayari sa kaniya,” she said.

What the student body should look out for

University Student Election Commission (USEC) Chairperson Diana Bianca Cuello said the commission is closely monitoring the situation and has not yet received official notice on whether snap elections will be called to fill the vacant positions.

Cuello explained that the USG Constitution provides a clear line of succession, following this order: Vice President, Speaker of the House, Senate President Pro Tempore (SPPT), and the highest-ranking cabinet member. With the Vice Presidency vacant, House Speaker Floreza Mae Pongo is next in line. If she declines, succession passes to SPPT Casper Miguel Llanes, followed by Executive Secretary Gallamporte.

USEC has drafted a tentative election calendar in case there is a mandate to formally proceed with special elections.

“We assure the student body that we will do the best we can under our jurisdiction… But to make this successful, we, the USEC, hope and sincerely ask that every student and student leaders should be concerned and see the value and importance kung gaano kabigat ang elections natin within the University… Tandaan sana natin na everything we do in election period would greatly impact your future in the University,” she urged.

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As of press time, no official announcements have been made regarding the opening of EB positions, leaving Gallamporte the sole confirmed cabinet member, according to Suva and Alegre. The USG has yet to publicly disclose the current composition of the Executive Branch.

The HERALDO FILIPINO reached out separately to Vito and Gallamporte for comment but has yet to receive an official response. The USG Judiciary Branch declined to issue a statement, citing the need to remain impartial as it prepares to preside over the ongoing impeachment proceedings.

This is a developing story.

Originally published in Heraldo Filipino Volume 40, Issue 1.