THE DECLARATION OF EXISTENCE

Time is the substance of Life.

In the universal scheme of things, in a tiny slice of human life, there exist certain gaps,

which we all recognize as extensions of what was and transitions to what will be. Pre-

medicine is one such gap. It comprises the X-years between high school and medicine

proper and the life to which we spend these years.

Realizing the importance of these years, we, the students of the University of the

Philippines, do create this life and bind ourselves to its spirit.

WE ARE THE U.P. PRE-MEDICAL SOCIETY

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ARTICLE I. OBJECTIVES

We shall:

a. build a life out of the given time in transition to a medical career in pursuit of the

development of whole human beings;

b. help one another attain the necessary skills and experience in preparation for life in

the College of Medicine and thereafter;

c. embark on relevant projects aimed at assisting and aiding our fellow men.

ARTICLE II. SYMBOLS

Section 1. The Rod of Aesculapius, or the staff with a twining snake, and the black ant

shall be the symbols of the Society.

Section 2. The old seal of the Society consists of a circle within a circle, with the words

"PRE-MEDICAL" inscribed on the top side of the larger circle and the word "SOCIETY"

inscribed on the bottom side. Dominating the center of the smaller circle is the Rod of

Aesculapius with the letter "U" on its left and the letter "P" on its right.

The new seal shall consist of a white circular field within a golden circular field.

Transcribed within the golden circular field are the words "PRE-MEDICAL SOCIETY" at

the top center, and the year "1956" at the bottom center. The white field at the center shall

have a stylized version of the Rod of Aesculapius slanting to the right, such that the space

to its bottom right bears the letters “UP."

The old seal The new seal

Section 3. The pin of the Society shall be black and diamond-shaped with the letters

“UPPMS” inscribed within. The border of the pin shall be in gold. It shall be worn on

formal occasions.

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Section 4. The following shall be the song of the Society, entitled the “PMS Song”:

Sing a little song for Pre-Med dear,

Hum a bit louder so I can hear;

Drift into a dream into a cloud

Of friends and crowd.

Walk into a bridge between two pavs;

Start a conversation and end with love;

Lift yourself beyond that bright balloon

That we all are.

Pre-Med Society, that is our company.

Come, look and see just who we are;

Pre-Med Society, that is our company.

Come, look and see just who, just who we are.

Section 5. The official organ of the Society shall be the Vox Premedicorum, which means

“Voice of Pre-Medicine”. The Vox Premedicorum shall be made, printed and published by

the Vox Committee, headed by the Vox Editor (see Article V, Section 8). The Vox

Committee shall be under the direct responsibility of the President and the Vice President

for Publications and External Affairs.

Section 6. The official acronym of the society shall be “UP PreMedSoc”, which shall be

used in external affairs. The members may opt to use the acronym “UP PMS” within the

organization.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Membership shall be earned only after compliance with the requirements set in

Article XII of this Constitution and by the Screening Committee.

Section 2. There shall be five (5) classes of membership:

a. Resident Members (RM’s) for the semester are the inducted members who are duly

renewed and have enrolled for that semester. They shall comply with the

requirements set in Article III, Section 3;

b. Inductees are the members who have finished the application period but have not

yet been inducted. They should also be duly renewed and enrolled, and shall comply

with the requirements set in Article III, Section 3;

c. Members on Leave are the inducted members who are not enrolled, on Leave of

Absence (LOA) with their college, or those who have chosen not to renew for that

semester;

d. Alumni Members are the inducted members who have completed their

baccalaureate courses and are not enrolled;

e. Honorary Members are persons bestowed that recognition in view of the great

service they have rendered the Society. Designation of such memberships follows

a unanimous vote of the Executive Council following nomination by any member

of the Society.

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Section 3. All resident members and inductees must exercise the following duties and

responsibilities, which would be monitored and evaluated by the Internal Affairs

Committee:

a. Pay a membership fee to be agreed upon by the Executive Council, at the start of

the semester they are renewing in;

b. Attend all General Assembly and Special Meetings. Failure to attend such meetings

should be justified to the Vice President for Internal Affairsa;

c. Participate actively in all projects and activities that shall be undertaken by the

Society. Failure to attend such activities should be justified to the Vice President

for Internal Affairsa;

d. Participate actively in all activities and projects of the particular committee the said

member belongs to. Failure to attend should be justified to the Vice President of

his/her respective committee;

e. Set a proper example to the applicants of the Society and to the University

community, exemplifying the manner and decorum of an ideal member of the UP

Pre-Medical Society;

f. Uphold this Constitution and abide by the rules set herein; and

g. Work for the harmony and unity of the Society.

Section 4. All members are entitled to the following rights and privileges:

a. Any member of the Society has the right and privilege to stay within the premises

of the tambayan;

b. Any member of the Society has the right and privilege to attend and participate in

all activities of the Society such as the Induction Ball, the Picnic, the Free Clinics,

etc.;

c. Any member has the right and privilege to voice out his/her opinions about matters

concerning the Society during meetings or open discussions/forums;

d. Only inducted members have the privilege and honor to wear the UP Pre-Medical

Society pin;

e. Only resident members and inductees have the privilege to make full use of the UP

Pre-Medical Society library. Matters concerning suspension of library privilege

will be decided by the Vice President for Academic and Cultural Affairs;

f. Only resident members and inductees have the right to vote during elections where

their votes are essential to solve issues concerning the Society.

Section 5. The Vice President for Internal Affairs shall monitor the activities of all

resident members and inductees based on the compliance and execution of the

aforementioned responsibilities (see Article III, Section 3). Failure to comply may

become grounds for suspension of membership (see Article X). If needed, the different

committee Vice Presidents shall assist the Vice President for Internal Affairs in

monitoring and evaluating the performance of resident members or inductees within each

respective committee.

a The Vice President for Internal Affais may delegate member attendance monitoring to a specific part of

his/her committee (i.e., core team, officer) according to the policy presented by him/her which must have

prior approval from the General Assembly. However, the Vice President for Internal Affairs shall have the

final word on ruling out the validity of excuses, and on making recommendations for expulsion.

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ARTICLE IV. ORGANIZATION

Section 1. All resident members and inductees shall be part of the General Assembly (GA).

The General Assembly is the decision-making body of the Society and, unless otherwise

specified in the Constitution, it shall decide on the various issues and questions that may

arise concerning the Society. The General Assembly shall decide on the issues and

questions presented to it by a majority vote.

Section 2. The Executive Council (EC) is composed of resident members and inductees

who have been duly elected (see Article XI) into office and who have satisfied the rules on

eligibility. The Executive Council shall be composed of the President and all the committee

Vice Presidents. The Executive Council shall be the highest governmental body in the

Society. It shall be guided by the objectives of the Society and ensure that the Constitution

is constantly upheld. Questions of policy presented to it shall be decided by a majority vote,

unless otherwise specified in the constitution.

Section 3. Each committee Vice President shall have a Deputy, who shall have duties and

responsibilities as stated in Article V, and who shall be selected as detailed in Article XI.

Section 4. Each committee shall be divided into core teams. The core teams per committee

and the placement of committee members shall depend on the policy prepared by the

elected committee Vice President. The policy must first be presented to and approved by

the other members of the Executive Council through a unanimous en banc vote before its

implementation.

Section 5. All core teams shall have one (1) Core Team Head who shall have duties and

responsibilities as stated in Article V, and who shall be selected as detailed in Article XI.

Section 6. The advisers of the Society shall be chosen by a unanimous vote by the

Executive Council from nominations forwarded by the resident members. There shall be

one (1) Senior Adviser from the faculty of the College of Science. The outgoing president

shall automatically be the Junior Adviser. The advisers’ terms will end when the new set

of advisers has been chosen.

Section 7. Interns shall refer to applicants assigned to a committee according to the

provisions of Article XII. Interns shall perform committee work under the direction of the

Vice President of the committee to which they were assigned.

ARTICLE V. COMMITTEES

Section 1. There shall be eight (8) permanent committees, each headed by their respective

Vice President. These committees are the:

a. Academic and Cultural Affairs Committee

b. Finance Committee

c. Internal Affairs Committee

d. Publications and External Affairs Committee

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e. Records and Minutes Committee

f. Screening Committee

g. Special Projects Committee

h. Sports and Social Affairs Committee

Section 2. All the permanent committees except for the Screening Committee shall be

composed of the resident members and inductees, unless otherwise specified in the

constitution.

Section 3. The composition of the different permanent committees is dependent on the

policies prepared by the respective Vice Presidents and the final deliberation of the

Executive Council regarding the distribution of members and applicants.

Section 4. There shall be four (4) working committees, namely:

a. Electoral Committee (COMELEC)

b. Technical Committee

c. Ad hoc Committee

d. Vox Committee

Section 5. The COMELEC shall:

a. be composed of graduating resident members who are not members of the

Executive Council during the academic year in question. The COMELEC

chairperson shall be appointed by the outgoing President who shall not be a part of

the committee;

b. have at least three (3) and a maximum of seven (7) members composed of resident

members chosen by the outgoing Executive Council;

c. handle all elections of the Society unless otherwise stated in the Constitution;

d. prepare the official list of qualified voters and eligible candidates, based on Article

XI;

e. supervise the entire electoral process;

f. decide on all questions arising from the elections by a unanimous en banc vote

among its members. Decisions arising from such are deemed final.

Section 6. The Technical Committee shall:

a. be the legislative and judicial body of the Society;

b. be composed of at least four (4) and a maximum of six (6) members, with at least

one (1) of them an alumni member;

c. consist of members appointed by the Technical Committee of the previous year,

subject to the approval of the incoming President. Should there have been no

Technical Committee the previous year, the Executive Council shall appoint the

members of the Technical Committee and its chairperson;

d. have a term of one (1) year commencing on the first day of the midyear term of the

academic year of appointment and terminating on the first day of the midyear term

of the subsequent academic yearb;

b Members of the Technical Committee who have become Alumni Members before the termination of their

term shall remain part of the Technical Committee.

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e. resolve issues concerning the Constitution and its interpretation;

f. propose or receive proposed amendments to the Constitution (see Article XIII);

g. submit to the Executive Council the proposed amendments to the Constitution;

h. conduct the ratification proceedings (plebiscite) for any amendments proposed;

i. supervise all impeachment proceedings against members of the Executive Council;

j. be in charge of distributing, printing and filing of copies of the Constitution;

k. conduct a semestral evaluation of the Executive Council.

Section 7. The Ad hoc Committee shall be appointed by the members of the Executive

Council when there is a major event or issue that cannot be assigned to any of the

permanent committees. The Executive Council shall be directly responsible for the

functions of the Ad hoc Committee and all activities pertaining to it.

Section 8. The Vox Committee shall consist of at least five (5) members headed by the

Vox Committee Chairperson. The members of the Vox Committee shall be chosen through

a process based on the policy prepared by the Vox Committee Chairperson and approved

by the Executive Council.

Section 9. Each committee Deputy shall:

a. ensure that the directions set by the respective committee Vice President is

followed by providing counsel;

b. serve as proxy and call for or preside over meetings upon the instruction of the

committee Vice President if the latter is absent due to a valid reason;

c. be restricted from making any decisions without the knowledge of the committee

Vice President;

d. not be restricted from becoming a core team head, if needed;

Section 10. Each Core Team Head shall:

a. spearhead the projects of their core team;

b. be allowed to delegate work to core team members and interns;

c. ensure all facets of projects are properly and promptly executed.

Section 11. Each core team shall have Project Officers that have differentiated functions

(i.e., logistics, marketing, finance) for specialized project management.

ARTICLE VI. THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Section 1. Governmental powers shall be vested in the Executive Council consisting of the

President and all committee Vice Presidents. The Executive Council shall be the policy-

implementing body of the Society. It shall ensure that the Constitution is constantly upheld.

Questions of policy presented to the Council shall be decided by a majority vote in a

meeting where the quorum is reached, unless specified by the Constitution. Quorum within

the Executive Council shall consist of two-thirds (2/3) of its members.

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Section 2. The President shall:

a. be the head of the Society;

b. preside over all General Assembly, Special, and Executive Council meetings,

decide on all questions of order, and sign all documents pertinent to the business of

the Society;

c. prepare the agenda for General Assembly, Special and Executive Council meetings;

d. break the tie on any question or issue presented in General, Special and Executive

Council meetings;

e. automatically be an ex-officio member of any committee within the Society.

Section 3. The Committee Vice Presidents shall:

a. be co-equal and complementary; they shall coordinate with each other to achieve

the various goals set forth by them; advise the President in the formation and

execution of any policy or activity undertaken by the Society, particularly when

such a policy or activity falls under the committee Vice President’s area of function;

b. be differentiated according to one’s area of function. There shall be a definite

delineation of roles based on this provision and thus responsibility is clearly

defined;

c. be present in all meetings concerning his/her committee. Otherwise, s/he may

appoint the committee Deputy as proxy;

d. shall have the final word on all matters concerning his/her committee, in

consideration of the opinions of his/her committee members;

e. be responsible for informing the resident members of any current proceedings in

their committee of function, be it direct, or through the notices posted by the

Records and Minutes Committee;

f. coordinate with the Screening Committee Vice President in order to monitor and

evaluate the performance of the applicants assigned to one’s committee;

g. coordinate with the Internal Affairs Committee Vice President in order monitor and

evaluate the performance of the members assigned to one’s committee, if needed;

h. serve as good examples to the committee members and the applicants in their

conduct as officers of the Society.

i. be ex-officio members of the Screening Committee.

Section 4. No member of the Executive Council shall be allowed to assume an officership

position of high rank (such as President, Vice President, Committee Chairperson, or their

equivalent) in any other organization (including student councils, yearbook committees,

graduate committees, etc.) within the University during his/her term of office. Otherwise,

impeachment proceedings shall be immediately instituted by the Technical Committee (see

Article VII).

Section 5. The committee Vice Presidents of:

a. Academic and Cultural Affairs (ACA) shall:

1. be in charge of academic projects such as Medical Talks, NMAT

Reviews, UP Reviews, and tutorial programs;

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2. be in charge of various cultural activities (songfest, quiz shows, lantern

parade, caroling, etc.) that the Society may take part in.

3. oversee the maintenance of the library of the Society by forming a sub-

committee in charge of acquisition and lending of books and various

publications;

4. see to the welfare of the resident members and inductees with regard to

their academic needs, and plan and supervise any tutorials or study groups

in order to assist the resident members in the learning process;

b. Publications and External Affairs (PEA) shall:

1. be in charge of manufacturing merchandise such as lanyards and shirts

specifically for members and alumni of the Society.

2. be in charge of photo and video shoots and necessary editing for official

publication and promotion of the Society;

3. be in charge of the publicity of the Society among the alumni, the

institute, the college, and the University;

4. be in charge of the relations of the Society with the alumni members. This

includes assisting the alumni in their endeavors that are relevant to the

Society;

5. be in charge of the Society’s correspondence with other organizations;

6. be the liaison of the Society with the advisers, members of the faculty and

UP administration;

7. be the official liaison and representative of the Society with the

University and College Student Councils;

8. coordinate with the Sports and Social Affairs Committee in the

supervision of the Annual Alumni Dinner;

9. represent the Society in extra-societal meetings;

10. supervise the production of all printed material of the Society including

announcements, posters, renewal and application forms, signature sheets

and any other material the Society may need;

c. Internal Affairs (IA) shall:

1. act as the presiding officer of all suspension and expulsion proceedings;

2. be capable of recommending to the Executive Council any resident

member or inductee deserving suspension or expulsion for further action

(see Articles IX & X);

3. be in charge of filing requests or permission slips for activities that require

staying within the tambayan beyond the indicated curfew;

4. be in charge of the security of the tambayan and its acquisition or renewal,

if needed;

5. be the property custodian of the Society by taking a semestral inventory

of the properties of the Society, which shall be presented to the Executive

Council and kept for filing by the Vice President for Records and

Minutes;

6. decide on the validity of excuses for absence or tardiness (see Appendix).

The event that the Vice President for Internal Affairs needs to be excused,

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the President shall have the authority to decide on the validity of the

excuse.

7. monitor the performance of the resident members based on the policy

approved by the General Assembly;

8. organize the phone brigade and carpool of the Society;

9. oversee the maintenance of the tambayan (i.e. repairs and cleaning);

10. present his/her Internal Affairs policy (i.e., concerning attendance in

meetings) for length of his/her term to the Executive Council, subject to

the approval of the General Assembly before implementation;

11. record the attendance of the resident members in all activities of the

Society;

12. take the place of the President in the latter’s absence as a presiding officer.

d. Records & Minutes (R&M) shall:

1. be in charge of collating, and reporting with anonymity, the peer and

activity evaluations of the Society (Strengths, Weaknesses,

Opportunities, and Threats, or S.W.O.T.).

2. be responsible for arranging the recognition of the Society by the

University;

3. be the official secretary of the Society;

4. gather, record, and monitor the scholastic schedules of the resident

members at the start of each semester of the academic year;

5. keep a copy of all the pertinent data and documents of the Society that

shall be available upon request;

6. prepare the Calendar of Activities of the Society and submit copies to the

Office of the Student Affairs, the Senior Adviser, and the University and

College Student Councils after the approval of such by the Executive

Council;

7. regulate the posting of notices on the bulletin board and oversee its

maintenance;

8. transcribe or record the proceedings of General Assembly, Special and

Executive Council meetings, and post a copy on the bulletin board and

all media groups;

e. Screening (S) shall:

1. have additional members in the Screening Committee aside from the

Executive Council if needed, given the approval of the Executive Council

in a unanimous en banc vote prior to the reaffirmation period of resident

members and inductees;

2. prepare the application policy for his/her term to be approved by the

Executive Council in a unanimous en banc vote;

3. preside over deliberations concerning applicants and will have two (2)

votes regarding the acceptance of new members.

4. submit a list of new members to the Executive Council at the end of the

application period;

5. supervise the application activities of prospective members.

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f. Sports and Social Affairs (SSA) shall:

1. coordinate with the Publications and External Affairs Committee in the

supervision of the Annual Alumni Dinner;

2. keep track and supervise the commemoration of the birthdays of all

resident members, as well as the special occasions in the Society’s

history;

3. plan and organize all social activities of the Society like parties, semester

enders and starters, team-building activities, Kris Kringles, etc.;

4. plan and organize all sports activities of the Society including the

scheduling of games, division and membership of teams, permits,

equipment, etc.;

g. Finance (F) shall:

1. be in charge of allocating budget for each committee upon approval of

the President;

2. be in charge of the major fundraising activities of the Society;

3. be the keeper of all funds and shall keep a detailed record of the use of

such;

4. collect all dues and fees, including money from each committee’s

fundraisers, if anyc;

5. provide for the marketing needs of all events of the Society, in

coordination with the Vice President of the committee involved;

6. present a detailed report on the financial standing of the Society to the

Executive Council upon request.

h. Special Projects (SP) shall:

1. be in charge of organizing activities such as first aid training, which

would equip resident members and inductees with skills needed for the

socio-civic projects of the Society.

2. be in charge of organizing socio-civic events such as blood drives, and

relief operations among others.

3. plan and organize community-oriented events such as outreach programs,

medical missions, and the like;

ARTICLE VII. IMPEACHMENT

Section 1. Impeachment shall refer to the permanent disqualification of any duly elected

official from performing the functions of his/her office as decided upon by the Technical

Committee, unless otherwise specified in the Constitution. It shall not include expulsion

(see Article IX) of the officer unless further decided by the Executive Council through a

majority vote.

c The need to create committee fundraisers shall depend on the policy created by the Vice President for

Finance; hence, it is his/her prerogative whether the Finance Committee shall provide for all financial

needs of the Society or not.

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Section 2. Grounds for impeachment include:

a. Any willful violation of the Constitution, its by-laws or appendices;

b. Gross neglect of duty as an officer as specified in Article V;

c. Willful usurpation of authority;

d. Willful abuse of power and misuse of office.

Section 3. All impeachment proceedings shall be conducted by the members of the

Technical Committee, presided by the Technical Committee Chairperson.

Section 4. Impeachment proceedings can only be instituted against an officer once per

officership term. Should the motion for impeachment fail, it can only be reinstituted on the

next officership term.

Section 5. Impeachment proceedings shall commence following the submission of a written recommendation to Technical Committee Chairperson. The written recommendation should contain the outline of all charges signed by two (2) resident members who shall be anonymous.

Section 6. The subject/s of any impeachment proceeding/s shall be informed at least one

(1) week in advance of the investigation proper of the charges being brought against

him/her as received by the Technical Committee Chairperson.

The officer subject to impeachment is automatically suspended pending resolution of

the case by the Technical Committee. In the event that a committee Vice President is

suspended, the Deputy shall assume the position during the course of the investigation.

The General Assembly shall also be informed by the Technical Committee through a

memorandum detailing the charges brought against the officer concerned.

Section 7. The Technical Committee shall conduct three (3) closed hearings to hear all

arguments from the parties concerned:

a. the first hearing will include all resident members and inductees exclusive of the

Executive Council and the officer concerned;

b. the second hearing will include the Executive Council only;

c. the third hearing will include the officer concerned only.

The purpose of all three hearings is for the Technical Committee to hear all arguments

from all parties concerned.

Section 8. At least three (3) Technical Committee members should be present for a hearing

to be valid. All proceedings must be recorded for future reference, which may be accessed

by members of the Technical Committee only, until the case has been resolved.

Section 9. Two (2) days after the third hearing, the Technical Committee must agree on a

decision. The Technical Committee must have a unanimous, en banc resolution for the

impeachment to be enforced. Otherwise, the officer concerned shall immediately be

reinstated.

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In the event that the officer concerned is impeached, a Special Election for the vacated

position shall commence in accordance with Article XI.

Section 10. Impeachment proceedings against the Vox Editor, Technical Committee

Chairperson, and Electoral Committee Chairperson shall be conducted in the same manner

as stated in Sections four (4) to nine (9), except that the Technical Committee shall be

replaced by the Executive Council as the working body, led by the President.

Section 11. Committee Deputies, Core Team Heads, and Project Officers shall not be

subject to the provisions of Article VII.

ARTICLE VIII. RESIGNATION

Section 1. Resignation shall refer to the voluntary withdrawal of an officer from office.

Section 2. Evaluation of the resignation shall proceed only upon receipt of a resignation

letter by the Technical Committee.

Section 3. The Technical Committee must agree whether to accept or reject the

resignation through a unanimous, en banc resolution that must first be disclosed to the

officer concerned, followed by an announcement to the General Assembly.

In the event that the resignation is accepted, a Special Election for the vacated

position shall commence in accordance with Article XI.

Section 4. Committee Deputies, Core Team Heads, and Project Officers shall not be subject

to the provisions of Article VIII.

ARTICLE IX. EXPULSION

Section 1. Expulsion shall refer to the permanent disqualification of a resident member or

inductee from all rights and privileges of membership in the Society. Any member expelled

from the Society shall not be allowed to regain membership through any means (i.e.,

application). Hence, his/her name shall be struck from the rolls of the Society.

Section 2. The grounds for expulsion include any of the following:

a. any willful violation of the Constitution, its by-laws or appendices;

b. gross neglect of duties and responsibilities as a member, as specified in Article III,

Section 3;

c. two (2) suspensions;

d. failure to renew for two (2) consecutive semesters without a valid reason.

Section 3. All expulsion proceedings will commence following the submission of a written

recommendation prepared by the Vice President for Internal Affairs, to the Executive

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Council. The Vice President for Internal Affairs should have consulted resident members

and inductees, especially the committee Vice Presidents, in preparing the recommendation.

Section 4. The subject/s of expulsion shall be informed of the charges brought against

him/her at least one (1) week in advance of the investigation that shall be conducted

through an open hearing.

Section 5. The Executive Council, headed by the Vice President for Internal Affairs, will

conduct one (1) open hearing with the member subject to expulsion. All members of the

Executive Council must be present for the hearing to be valid.

Section 6. Two (2) days after the open hearing, the Executive Council must agree on a

unanimous, en banc resolution. Otherwise, the member subject to expulsion shall be

acquitted of all charges.

Section 7. The Executive Council is wholly responsible for the conduct of the expulsion

proceedings and any activities pertaining to it.

ARTICLE X. SUSPENSION

Section 1. Suspension shall refer to the temporary disqualification of a resident member or

inductee from exercising the rights and privileges of membership in the Society until the

suspension is lifted.

Section 2. Willful neglect of duties and responsibilities as a member, as specified in Article

III, Section 3 shall be the basis for suspension of a resident member or inductee.

Section 3. All suspension proceedings shall be conducted by the Internal Affairs

Committee, presided over by the Vice President for Internal Affairs.

Section 4. Suspension proceedings shall commence following the receipt of a written

recommendation by the Vice President for Internal Affairs. The written recommendation

should come from the committee Vice President of the person subject to suspension, or as

warranted by the situation, from the Vice President for Internal Affairs.

Section 5. The person subject to suspension shall be informed of the charges brought

against him/her two (2) days prior to the investigation, which shall be conducted by the

Internal Affairs Committee by obtaining proof of the charges and discussing the matter

with the member concerned.

Section 6. Two (2) days after the investigation, the Internal Affairs Committee must

convene, presided over by the Vice President for Internal Affairs, and agree on a resolution

through a majority vote.

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Section 7. The duration of the period of suspension, which shall not exceed one (1)

semester, shall be decided by the Internal Affairs Committee through the process described

in Article X, Section 6.

ARTICLE XI. ELECTIONS

Section 1. All elections shall be conducted through a secret ballot supervised by the

Electoral Committee (see Article V, Section 5).

Section 2. All resident members and inductees are qualified to vote; however, the Electoral

Committee may impose additional requirements for qualification to assure the quality of

votes. At least three-fourths (3/4) of qualified voters should cast their ballots for the

election to be valid.

Section 3. A person shall be eligible for Presidency if:

a. he/she is not graduating within the academic year following his/her election (i.e.

not graduating before his/her term ends);

b. he/she has duly renewed as a resident member or inductee for at least two (2)

semesters prior to the semester during which election is held;

c. he/she has never been suspended by the Internal Affairs Committee.

Section 4. The length of officership in any position shall be defined by an officership term.

One academic year shall be composed two (2) officership terms. The first officership term

shall begin on the first day of midyear classes and end on the day before the beginning of

the second semester. The second officership term shall begin on the first day of the second

semester and end on the day before the first day of midyear classes.

Section 5. The nomination period for President shall be opened on a Monday, seven (7)

weeks before the end of classes of the second semester of the present academic year. The

nomination procedure shall proceed as follows:

a. A written nomination must be submitted to the COMELEC Chairperson not later

than 5:30 p.m. on the Friday of the same week;

b. The COMELEC shall provide a tentative list of nominees the on the last day of the

nomination period, after the 5:30 p.m. cut-off had passed;

c. Objections or declinations to any of the nominations must be expressed through a

letter addressed and submitted to the COMELEC Chairperson during the weekend

following the last day of the nomination period. Otherwise, such motions shall not

be considered valid and the nomination shall be deemed accepted.

d. The COMELEC shall post the official list of nominees on Monday of the following

week (four weeks prior to the end of classes of the second semester).

Section 6. The President of the following academic year shall be chosen through an election

held six (6) weeks before the end of classes of the second semester of the present academic

year.

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Section 7. A person shall be eligible for membership in the Executive Council if:

a. he/she is not graduating within the academic year following his/her election (i.e.

not graduating before his/her term ends);

b. he/she is not an officer in any other organization in the University;

c. he/she is a resident member or an inductee of the Society at the time of his/her

election.

Section 8. A person shall only be eligible for the position of Vice President for Screening

or Vice President for Internal Affairs if he/she has duly renewed as a resident member or

inductee for at least two (2) semesters prior to the semester during which election is held.

Section 9. A person shall be eligible to be the Vox Editor if:

a. he/she is a resident member or an inductee of the Society at the time of his/her

election;

b. he/she is not graduating within the academic year following his/her election.

Section 10. The nomination period for Committee Vice Presidents and the Vox Editor shall

be opened on a Monday, five (5) weeks before the end of classes of the second semester of

the present academic year. The nomination procedure shall proceed as follows:

a. A written nomination must be submitted to the COMELEC Chairperson not later

than 5:30 p.m. on the Friday of the same week;

b. The COMELEC shall provide a tentative list of nominees the on the last day of the

nomination period, after the 5:30 p.m. cut-off had passed;

c. Objections or declinations to any of the nominations must be expressed through a

letter addressed and submitted to the COMELEC Chairperson during the weekend

following the last day of the nomination period. Otherwise, such motions shall not

be considered valid.

d. The COMELEC shall post the official list of nominees on Monday of the following

week (two weeks prior to the end of classes of the second semester).

Section 11. The committee Vice Presidents and the Vox Editor shall be chosen through an

election held through an election held four (4) weeks before the end of classes of the second

semester of the present academic year.

Section 12. The school day following the presentation of the official list of nominees shall

be the first day of the campaign period. The duration of the campaign period shall be

decided by the COMELEC, upon consultation with the General Assembly.

Section 13. The school day following the last day of the campaign period shall be lent for

the Miting de Avance (MDA).

Section 14. The school day following the Miting de Avance shall be the Election Day. The

polls should open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 6:00 p.m. of the same day. Canvassing of votes

shall follow immediately after the close of voting and shall be open for viewing by the

General Assembly. At least two (2) witnesses who are not members of the COMELEC

must be present during the canvassing of votes.

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Section 15. The President shall be selected by garnering at least 60% + 1 of all valid ballots

cast. If he/she is running unopposed, he/she must garner at least 75% of all valid ballots

cast.

Section 16. The committee Vice Presidents and the Vox Editor shall be selected through a

majority vote (at least 50% + 1 of all valid ballots cast) among the candidates nominated

for the different positions. If a candidate is running unopposed, s/he must garner at least

60% of the valid ballots cast.

Section 17. The non-winning presidential candidate/s may be nominated as committee

Vice President or as Vox Editor in the elections following the Presidential election.

Section 18. In the event that no candidate obtains the required number of votes or that the

election ends in a tie, there will be a second election to be held on the week after the

Election Day. If more than two (2) candidates are running for the same position but none

of them garnered the required number of votes, only the two (2) candidates who obtained

the most votes in the first election will be allowed to run in the second election.

Section 19. Special elections shall immediately be held by the COMELEC when any of

the following officials: the President, a committee Vice President, or the Vox Editor, is

unable to continue his/her term, or is impeached. The voting body of a special election shall

follow the provisions of Article XI, Section 2.

Section 20. The COMELEC may conduct an electoral procedure with a shorter timeline

for Special Elections, with the same sequence of events as that of an ordinary election. The

proposed timeline of a Special Election must be presented by the COMELEC to the

General Assembly, from which no objections should arise. Otherwise, the proposal must

be modified until no objections are made.

Section 21. Any member of the General Assembly may be nominated for the vacated

position of committee Vice President or Vox Editor in Special Elections, provided

eligibility for officership.

Section 22. Only committee Vice Presidents may be nominated for the vacated position of

President.

Section 23. Special Elections must abide by the provisions of Article XI, Sections 3, 7, 8,

and 9, in the selection of officers for a vacated officership.

Section 24. In the conduct of a Special Election for the vacated position of Presidency, if

the required number of votes (see Article XI, Section 15) were not attained in the first

balloting, the Executive Council shall discharge the functions of the President as a collegial

body.

Section 25. Officers elected to occupy a vacated position through a Special Election shall

only hold office for the remaining term of the former officer.

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Section 26. Resident members or inductees who have been impeached and/or suspended

are not allowed to run for any position in the Executive Council.

Section 27. The members of the Executive Council and the Vox Editor shall hold office

for one (1) academic year, which is equivalent to two (2) officership terms, beginning at

the first officership term of the academic year of appointment.

Section 28. Each committee Deputy and Core Team Head shall be chosen from a list

drafted by their respective committee Vice Presidents. The list shall include only the

resident members and inductees assigned to the committee concerned.

Section 29. The committee Deputies and Core Team Heads shall be selected among the

committee members drafted in list specified in Article XI, Section 27 by the Executive

Council through a majority vote. In the event that no committee member accepts the

appointment for Deputy or Core Team Head, the Vice President shall appoint the Deputy

or Core Team Head among the committee members who were not drafted for the position.

Section 30. Committee Deputies and Core Team Heads shall hold office for one (1)

officership term only.

Section 31. Project Officers per core team shall be selected by the Core Team Head among

the committee members with prior approval of the committee Vice President.

Section 32. The term of Project Officers shall be dictated by the duration of their project.

ARTICLE XII. APPLICATION

Section 1. Enrolled undergraduate or graduate college students of the University of the

Philippines – Diliman can apply for membership to the Society.

Section 2. Upon application, the applicant must accomplish all of the following:

a. fill up and submit an application form together with an ID picture and an application

fee (to be determined by the Executive Council beforehand);

b. accomplish the signature sheet;

c. submit at least one (1) creative output about a resident member based on

information obtained from the member through an informal interview;

d. comply with the requirements set by the Vice President for Screening and approved

by the Executive Council;

e. submit a photocopy of his/her Form 5 and ID.

Section 3. Failure by an applicant to comply with Article XII, Section 2, may become basis

for disqualification from membership.

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Section 4. Attendance and participation in the following activities is expected of applicants

as a basis for acceptance in the Society:

a. Applicants’ Orientation, which marks the start of the application process;

b. Acquaintance Party, which shall be the last opportunity for potential applicants to

join;

c. Informal Interview conducted prior to the Formal Interview;

d. Lecture Week, which involves lectures on different topics related to medicine,

conducted at the discretion of the Vice President for Screening and Vice President

for Special Projects;

e. Batch fundraisers;

f. Sports fest (Love-Hate Match and Intercolors);

g. Internship at a particular committee;

h. Members’ Week (MS Week) conducted at the discretion of the Vice President for

Screening;

i. Written exam about the application process;

j. Formal Interview;

k. Talents Night to be organized by the applicants at the discretion of the Vice

President for Screening;

l. Picnic;

m. Batch project;

n. Additional activities (cultural, socio-civic, etc.) conducted at the discretion of the

Executive Council;

Section 5. Applicants shall undergo internship under a committee before their MS Week

as assigned by the Screening Committee, with due consideration of the applicant’s

preference. During this period, applicants shall be referred to as Interns (see Article IV,

Section 7) within the committee they are assigned.

Section 6. Applicant internship shall hold until the end of their application process.

Section 7. An applicant may choose to participate in other projects outside his/her

assigned committee upon the approval of the committee Vice Presidents from which the

applicant will come from and to which s/he wishes to participate in.

Section 8. The final decision on an applicant’s acceptance shall be the prerogative of the

Screening Committee.

Section 9. An applicant becomes an inductee upon accomplishment of the Picnic. An

inductee becomes a resident member upon taking oath (see Appendix) at the Induction Ball,

which shall be organized by all inductees. Oath-taking ceremonies shall be presided by the

adviser or the outgoing president.

Section 10. Any of the above sections may be amended by the Technical Committee upon

recommendation from the Vice President for Screening or the Executive Council and with

prior approval of the General Assembly (Article XIII).

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ARTICLE XIII. AMENDMENTS AND EFFECTIVITY

Section 1. This Constitution may be amended only by the members of the Technical

Committee.

Section 2. The Constitution may be amended provided the submission of a proposal by the

Executive Council, and a unanimous en banc vote by the Technical Committee.

Section 3. The Constitution shall take effect only upon ratification by two-thirds (2/3) of

the population of the General Assembly. The ratification shall take place during a special

plebiscite conducted by the Technical Committee, where a viva voce vote must be agreed

upon by the General Assembly.

Section 5. The Constitution shall supersede all versions of the Constitutions amended prior

to it.

Section 6. This Constitution shall take effect immediately.

Done, in Quezon City this 31st day of August, in the Year of our Lord, Two Thousand and

Fifteen.

THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE A.Y. 2015-2016

Gladys Gaile Fronda Marquez, Chairperson

Maria Camille Louise Coronel Chen

Isis Jen Yap Cruz

Bryan Francis Pablo Rodriguez

Patricia Marie Custodio Gibe, Alumni Member

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APPENDIX

I. DEFINITION OF TERMS

a) closed hearing – a hearing held in private, wherein an audience cannot be admitted.

b) en banc – meaning full bench, where the all members of a party or group shall

participate in the decision rather than a quorum

c) hearing – an informal session for the resolution of a case where all sides concerned

are allowed to explain.

d) judicial – having the function of exercising judgment for the administration of

justice

e) legislative – having the function of making or changing provisions in the

Constitution, and assuring their enactment

f) majority vote – a vote where 50% + 1 of the voting population is in agreement;

g) open hearing – a hearing open to an audience that may only observe and are not

allowed to participate.

h) ratification - confirmation of an action which was not pre-approved and may not

have been authorized

i) semester – shall refer to either the first (August to December), second (January to

April/May), or mid-year (June to July) academic terms.

j) tambayan – shall refer to the Society’s headquarters

k) unanimous vote – a vote where everyone is in agreement

l) valid reason – an excuse merited by the Vice President for Internal Affairs.

Examples of such are the death of an immediate family, incapacity due to a medical

condition proven by a medical certificate, intervention by acts of nature, among

others;

m) viva voce –referring to a voting method where votes are taken by responding

verbally

II. MEMBER’S AND EXECUTIVE COUNCIL’S OATHS.

The member’s oath shall be the following:

“With the capacity for hard work, and a deep respect for its ideals; with humility and

resolve, I, (name), accept the challenge of responsibility as a member of the University

of the Philippines Pre-Medical Society. We give it life.”

The Executive Council’s Oath shall be the following:

“With the capacity for hard work, and a deep respect for its ideals; with humility and

resolve, we accept the challenge of responsibility as a member of the Executive Council

of the University of the Philippines Pre-Medical Society. We give it direction.”

III. MEETINGS

a. There are five (5) types of meetings:

1. General Assembly – called by the President or the Vice President for

Internal Affairs;

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2. Executive Council – called by the President;

3. Applicants – called by the Vice President for Screening or by the batch

officers;

4. Special (any working committee) – called by the President or by any

committee Vice President;

5. Committee – called by the committee Vice President.

b. General Assembly Meetings shall be held according to the discretion of the

President or the Vice President for Internal Affairs upon consultation with the

President.

c. A notice of at least three (3) school days in advance is required for a General

Assembly meeting.

d. Special meetings shall be called by the President, or when situation warrants, any

committee Vice President with an urgent agenda.

e. The Executive Council shall have regular meetings, the date and time of which shall

be decided by them.

f. Quorum at a General Assembly meeting is 50% + 1 of all resident members and

inductees; otherwise, any decision reached can be disregarded or rendered null and

void.

IV. AWARDS

a. The Person of the Year Award shall be given to an officer, member, applicant, or

friend of the Society who has:

1. most influenced the year’s activities and who has been instrumental in the

success of such;

2. determined the proper course the Society should undertake;

3. performed exemplary service to the Society;

4. performed his/her duly designated responsibilities beyond the call of duty.

The recipient of the award is chosen by plurality vote in a secret ballot by resident

members and inductees to be held at the Induction Ball. In the event that no person

obtains at least 30% of the ballots cast, there shall be no recipient for that year. Only

ballots cast personally shall be valid. The supervision, canvassing, secrecy and

announcement of the award shall be the responsibility of the Ball Committee as

duly designated by the inductees.

b. The Outstanding Member of the Year Award shall be given to the resident member

who has stood out among the rest in giving so unstintingly of his/her time, thought

and effort (material or otherwise) to the promotion of the UP Pre-Medical Society

spirit. The recipient of this award is chosen from not more than five (5) nominees

considered by the Executive Council on a secret ballot to be conducted by the Vice

President for Internal Affairs during an Executive Council meeting prior to the

Induction Ball. Members of the Executive Council are excluded from the nominees.

The recipient is likewise determined by a majority vote from the Executive Council.

This award is to be given at the Induction Ball.

c. The Outstanding Applicant of the Year Award shall be given to the applicant who

has stood out from among the rest of his/her peers in giving him/herself so

unstintingly to the promotion of the UP Pre-Medical Society spirit. The recipient is

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to be chosen from nominees proposed by the Vice President for Screening. The

recipient is determined by a majority vote from the Executive Council, where vote

of the Vice President for Screening is equivalent two (2) votes. The Award is to be

given at the Induction Ball.