The Duterte Youth partylist may not have a voice in the upcoming 18th Congress due to pending cases against one of its substitute nominee, former National Youth Commission (NYC) head Ronald Cardema.
This, after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) decided to defer issuing a certificate of proclamation to the Duterte Youth partylist until the resolution of the two cases questioning the eligibility of Cardema to represent the said party-list group.
“The en banc has decided that because of these pending cases questioning his qualification to substitute, the commission en banc will not yet issue a proclamation certificate to Duterte Youth partylist,” Rowena V. Guanzon said on the sidelines of her book launch on Wednesday.
Duterte Youth was given by Comelec one guaranteed seat in Congress after it was able to get 354,629 votes in the May 2019 elections.
The two separate petitions were filed by youth-oriented individuals.
The Comelec First Division resumed on Wednesday its hearing on one of the said case filed by Raoul Danniel Manuel of the National Union of Students of the Philippines, Paula Sabrine Janer of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines, and Raainah Punzalan of the Youth Act Now Against Tyranny.
The three groups argued Cardema was not qualified to represent the youth for being “overaged.”
This was admitted by Cardema’s lead legal counsel, Rani Angeli Supnet, but she noted her client is still qualified to represent Duterte Youth since it also supposedly also represents “young professionals.”
“This is found within the by-laws and constitution of Duterte Youth,” Supnet said.
The lead lawyer of the petitioners, Kristian Jacob Lora, rejected Supnet’s argument, stating the Duterte Youth was widely known as party-list group representing the youth sector in the campaign period.
He also noted Cardema failed to include the necessary supporting documents in his certificate of nomination and acceptance (CONA) of his track record representing the “young professionals.”
“The track records are necessary if the nominees are not part of the sector they are representing,” Lora said.
Cardema, who is currently unemployed after resigning from the NYC, was found not to be a professional regulated by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
Before the hearing ended, both camps of the petitioners and respondent jointly manifested their intention for their case to be consolidated with the other formal petition filed against Cardema.
The second case was filed by Aunell Ross Angcos, Cyra Aurelio, and Hannah Navarroza, questioning the last minute attempt of Cardema to become a representative of young professionals.
Comelec First Division Presiding Commissioner Al A. Parreño said they will look into the arguments presented to them before deciding on the matter.
Other members of the Comelec First Division are Guanzon and Commissioner Marlon S. Casquejo.