MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has underscored its resolve to uphold the rule of law by affirming the cancellation of the Duterte Youth party-list’s accreditation, a move that strips the group of the three congressional seats it claimed in the last elections.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia announced Friday that the en banc voted 5-1 to sustain a June ruling by its Second Division, which found the group in violation of party-list accreditation rules. “The law is clear, and compliance is not optional,” Garcia stressed, noting that Duterte Youth’s proclamation was rightfully withheld until the case was resolved.
The Second Division earlier ruled that Duterte Youth failed to comply with publication and hearing requirements, endorsed an unqualified nominee, and even promoted violence. It also pointed out that the group benefited from its chair Ronald Cardema’s influence as National Youth Commission (NYC) head before he launched his congressional bid.
Despite securing more than two million votes—enough for three House seats—the group’s proclamation was frozen, as youth leaders had questioned its qualifications as early as 2019. Another pending petition accused Duterte Youth of red-tagging other legitimate party-list organizations by branding them “terrorists” and “NPA recruiters” without basis.
Cardema, however, rejected the ruling as politically driven. “Sa totoo po, hindi na tayo nagulat kasi hino-hold nga nila ‘yung proclamation namin eh. They were mandated to proclaim us noong May 19 pero hino-hold nila kasi may pending cases noong 2019,” he said.
He further alleged that other party-list groups and politicians with pending cases were proclaimed, citing Kabataan party-list, ACT Teachers, Gabriela, and incoming senator Erwin Tulfo.
“Kahit itaas pa natin sa Comelec en banc yan, we are not expecting any favorable decision from them kasi pinupulitika nga kami,” he added.
Garcia clarified that while the ruling may still be elevated to the Supreme Court, the Comelec’s decision reinforces a vital principle: party-list groups must strictly comply with accreditation rules to enjoy the privilege of representation in Congress./PN
