By: Reigh John Bench Almendras
Comelec urged to halt Duterte Youth proclamation over unresolved petition. Photo Courtesy: Rappler.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has suspended the proclamation of the Duterte Youth party-list, putting its entry to the 20th Congress on hold.
The decision was due to the five-year-old petition seeking to void the group's registration on the grounds of alleged misrepresentation of the youth sector.
Election lawyer Emil Marañon III, representing a youth-led election watchdog, had urged Comelec to act on the long-standing petition before allowing Duterte Youth to be proclaimed.
"It is not only prudent, but it is a legal necessity to suspend the proclamation of Duterte Youth until [the] petitioners’ case is resolved,” Marañon stated.
He further emphasized that the "conclusive settlement of the issue of the status of Duterte Youth is a prejudicial question that must first be resolved before its proclamation."
The petition was initially filed in 2019 by youth leaders Reeya Beatrice Magtalas, Abigail Aleli Tan, Raainah Punzalan, and Aundell Ross Angcos, with the late former Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. as their counsel.
They argued that Duterte Youth's registration was "illegal and unconstitutional" due to alleged failure to fulfill publication and hearing requirements mandated by the 1987 Constitution and the Party-List System Act.
Duterte Youth garnered a significant number of votes in the recent elections, receiving at least 2,327,549 votes or 5.59% of the total votes, with 99.12% of precincts reporting.
This figure would normally guarantee them three seats in Congress, as a party-list group needs at least 2% of the total votes.
However, Comelec Chairman George Garcia confirmed on May 19 that the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) resolved to suspend the proclamation of Duterte Youth, along with Bagong Henerasyon (BH) party-list, due to their pending petitions.
In response, Duterte Youth, through its chairman, Ronald Cardema, filed a petition with the Supreme Court (SC) on May 20, seeking a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the Comelec's decision.
Cardema asserted that Comelec committed "grave abuse of discretion," claiming they were only notified of the suspension hours before the scheduled proclamation.
The party-list contends that the decision is an intentional effort to "hold back the choice of millions of Filipinos."
A recurring point of contention against the Duterte Youth Party-list has been the age requirement for youth representatives under the party-list law, which caps the age at 30 years on election day.
Ronald Cardema, who was 34 during the 2019 polls, previously faced disqualification for his nomination as a youth representative.
The party-list has also faced scrutiny for its links to political dynasties, with its current representative and first nominee, Drixie Mae Cardema, being the sister of Ronald Cardema.
The decision on whether or not the Duterte Youth Party-list is yet to be released and is expected to impact the assignment of seats in the House of Representatives.