Duterte Youth nominee's use of different surname for 'name recall' —Cardema
In a statement, Duterte Youth chairperson Ronald Cardema came to the defense of Drixie Mae Cardema amid allegations on social media that she used a different family name on her Certificate of Acceptance of Nomination (CONA) for Eleksyon 2025.
Reports on social media alleged that the full name of the Duterte Youth nominee was Drixie Mae Suarez and not Cardema.
'First of all, Duterte Youth Party-List Cong. Drixie Mae Suarez-Cardema is the sister of former Duterte Youth Party-List Cong. Ducielle Marie Suarez-Cardema,' said Ronald, the partylist chairperson and husband of Ducielle.
'In the start of every Congress, congressmen and senators, formally request the House and the Senate for the political names that they prefer to use for the entire Congress because name recall is key to Philippine politics,' he added.
On Thursday, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chief George Erwin Garcia said the poll body's Law Department is set to issue a motu prioprio show cause order against the Duterte Youth first nominee for allegedly using a different surname on her CONA.
Garcia, however, clarified the case will not affect Drixie's nomination and possible proclamation, saying there were no formal petitions filed for the cancellation of her nomination.
'Para sa amin, yan ay fact-finding muna. Hindi pa naman namin sinasabing may disqualification case o pormal na kaso, election offense, o kung ano pa man,' Garcia told reporters in a virtual interview on Friday.
(For us, this is just fact-finding proceedings. We are not saying there is a disqualification or election offense case.)
'Ayaw namin pangunahan muna, ayaw namin ipre-empt ang Law Department. Kung yun ang kanilang depensa, so be it. At least kahit paano meron silang depensa nila sa paggamit ng isang family name na maaaring di yun nag family name ng naturang partylist nominee,' he added.
(We don't want to preempt the Law Department. If that is the explanation of the Cardemas, then so be it.)
The Comelec will likewise look into the official documents that Drixie submitted when she filed her candidacy for Eleksyon 2025 as well as her previous records, according to Garcia.
It can be recalled the Duterte Youth ranked second in the partylist race for Eleksyon 2025, garnering 2.3 million votes. However, the Comelec, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, postponed its proclamation due to its pending cases.—LDF, GMA Integrated News
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