In the Philippines, the word Red connotes a family of indie filmmakers (Raymund and Jon Red) or the militant Left. But new Supreme Student Council President Christine Red doesn’t live up to that, neither a movie fan (“because of eye problems”) nor a hardline activist. But that doesn’t mean this 21-year old Law student, who loves to snooze, text, and pig out like most of us during downtime, is all too ordinary. This “romantic-sentimentalist,” who enjoys self-help and philosophy books, is all too willing to share a piece of her mind.
People in the other parties accuse you of exploiting charm factor during the campaign, like name-dropping showbiz celebrities as indirect endorsers.
When Oprah supports Barrack Obama or when Barbara Streisand supports Hillary Clinton, do we accuse them of exploiting the charm factor? Late last year, TINGOG Carolinian launched a movement called “Hope Warriors” and we take pride in the fact that the country’s biggest names have committed, pro bono, to become spokespersons for this cause. They also accepted the distinction of being our honorary members and we’re delighted that they’ve committed to lend their support us.
We’re also proud that even if we were not a part of this year’s SSC, we managed to come up with several big activities and even gave Carolinians the chance to hear inspiring words from the likes of Boy Abunda, Bianca Gonzalez, and Raki Vega. I’m certain there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. It’s very good to hear someone like Piolo Pascual take some time off to promote the cause of saving the environment and to encourage foreign students in USC to do their share in achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. You see, they've contributed to USC, albeit, in their small, special ways.
TINGOG detractors say that you are a party of careerists or students who exploit prestige of SSC position for resume purposes (to boost chances of being chosen as Outstanding Graduate, for example).
In my case, it’s moot and academic. I've graduated from college and already received the Outstanding Graduate award. I believe they give that to you only once. But seriously, we screen our candidates very well and the process is based on certain standards. So running is not just a candidate’s decision, it’s a party decision. This policy makes it very difficult for careerists to thrive in TINGOG. Plus: careerists are the type of student leaders who play safe. They’re no risk takers. Considering how we fared in last year’s elections, running under TINGOG was a huge risk that no careerist would definitely take. It was a leap of faith.
Pink as party color seems too effeminate. There was fear it may turn off the predominantly male Talamban vote. But this did not seem to happen. Why?
Because, like they say, REAL MEN WEAR PINK. Pink, like orange, is a color for Active Nonviolence, one of TINGOG’s core principles (like Gandhi’s moral philosophy) and so it’s very important that we keep it as our party color. We simply found ways to use the color to make it more appealing to either gender. Take TINGOG’s shirts, for instance. We’ve sold more shirts this year than in any other year—more than 300 pieces in less than two weeks (and counting) and more than half of those who bought were males. I believe we got the Talamban vote because we offered ourselves as a genuine alternative to the destructive and arrogant brand of politics that used to pervade in the SSC.
What other factors contributed to the victory of Tingog this year?
It was a good mix of strategy, conviction, and help from Divine Providence. Also, very important are help from supporters and alumni; good and hardworking candidates who work as a team; and a sincere, honest and clean campaign.
Tingog was founded on social democracy as an ideological platform. Do you guys still adhere to this?
We belong to the moderate Left and so one might say that we’re strictly social democrats. But there is more to our existence than a political ideology to which our members subscribe to. Our orientation is more centered on our five pillars: Active Nonviolence, Authentic Christian Humanism, Liberating Christianity, Pro-people Democracy and Filipino Nationalism. We apply these core principles in the context of the university being a microcosm of society. Our “Students First Policy” on the other hand is a guiding policy that ensures our commitment to the students, that the Carolinians will always be our top priority. When it comes to our role in the community, we again look to our five pillars for direction. Democracy, humanism, and nationalism truly make TINGOG a very dynamic party where a host of different persuasions, opinions and positions can co-exist at a given time or for a particular issue, therefore shaping our party’s indomitable character.
What can we expect from the SSC under your leadership?
A student council whose decisions are not based on party lines and populist positions but on conscience. A student council that makes projects in the context of long-term and sustainable goals, and not just making projects for the sake of making them. A student council that will lead by example.
