Comelec division cancels Duterte Youth Party-list registration

June 18, 2025 , 04:06 PM

By Clarist Mae Zablan

(June 18, 2025) – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) 2nd Division on Wednesday cancelled the registration of the Duterte Youth Party-list, citing material misrepresentation and the group’s non-compliance with registration requirements.

In a 25-page resolution, the Comelec division voted 2-1 in favor of granting the cancellation petition against the party-list group, also called Duty to Energize the Republic through the Enlightenment of the Youth Sectoral Party-list Organization.

This stemmed from a petition filed in 2019 by four youth leaders against Duterte Youth, saying the party-list group’s registration was approved without complying with the requirement to publish its petition for registration.

“Inasmuch as Duterte Youth failed to prove compliance with the jurisdictional requirements of publication and hearing, its registration as a party-list organization is void,” the ruling read.

Comelec also cited the group’s past endorsement of former National Youth Commission chair Ronald Cardema as one of its nominees. To recall, the poll body canceled Cardema’s nomination in 2019, finding that he is past the maximum age for a youth party-list representative.

“The disqualification of Mr. Cardema as a nominee cannot be viewed in isolation, vis-à-vis the cancellation of Duterte Youth’s registration, because the nomination was not made by Mr. Cardema singly and on his own accord,” the resolution added.

Commissioners Nelson Celis and Noli Pipo concurred on the resolution. The division’s presiding commissioner, Rey Bulay, dissented.

Duterte Youth has not issued a comment on the ruling as of writing. The group has previously maintained that it genuinely represents the youth and young professionals.

(With reports from Mon Gualvez, News5)

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