Latest news with #DuterteYouth
GMA Network
25-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Gabriela urges proclamation as winning party-list group for Eleksyon 2025
Gabriela Women's Party on Wednesday filed an appeal letter to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) urging it be proclaimed as one of the winning party-list groups in Eleksyon 2025. On Wednesday, members of the women' s organization staged a rally outside the Comelec main office in Intramuros, Manila and to submit consolidated letters of appeal from marginalized sectors including solo parents, LGBTQIA+, and child rights advocates to call for the disqualification of Duterte Youth with finality and for the proclamation of Gabriela. 'We urge you to consider our appeal for genuine representation, especially for marginalized sectors like the vast majority of impoverished women in the country,' Gabriela said in its letter to the poll body. The group appealed to the Comelec 'to proclaim the most consistent champion of women's and people's rights in Congress- the Gabriela Party-list.' Gabriela ranked 55th in the recent May polls, garnering 256,609 votes. Duterte Youth Meanwhile, the Duterte Youth party-list filed a motion for reconsideration (MR) with the Comelec en banc seeking to reverse the poll body division ruling and to proclaim them as one of the winning party-lists in the recent polls. In a motion dated June 20, the party-list said the Comelec Second Division 'gravely erred' when it ruled the registration of the Duterte Youth is void ab initio, or void from the beginning, when it failed to comply with the constitutional requirements of publication and hearing of their registration. 'The Party-List System Act, specifically Sec. 5 of RA 7941 orders that the Comelec, not the party-list applicant, to publish the petition for registration in two national newspapers of general circulation and shall resolve the petition within 15 days from the date it was submitted for resolution,' the motion read. The Comelec Second Division last week cancelled the registration of the Duterte Youth Party-list based on a 2019 petition that sought to nullify its registration after it failed to comply with the constitutional requirement of publication and hearing. However, the decision is not yet final and executory. The party-list also argued the group's past action in compliance with the laws, rules, and regulations, 'cannot be translated or construed as a mockery of the electoral processes or to bring it into disrepute' as the petitioners failed to submit evidence to support their claims. 'Despite [the] presence of several factual issues, the petitioners did not present any testimonial evidence and submitted the case for resolution on the basis of what has been marked and for the Comelec to rule only on the basis of facts which were undisputed by the parties,' the motion added. —RF, GMA Integrated News For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.
GMA Network
18-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Comelec cancels Duterte Youth party-list registration
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday cancelled the registration of the Duty to Energize the Republic through the Enlightenment of the Youth Sectoral Party-list Organization, more known as the Duterte Youth Party-list. In a 25-page decision promulgated Wednesday, the Comelec Second Division granted a 2019 petition that sought to nullify the party-list registration of the Duterte Youth for being void ab initio, or void from the beginning, after the party-list failed to comply with the jurisdictional requirements of publication and hearing. 'Duterte Youth cannot merely hide under the convenient excuse that the Commission had not required it to publish its Petition for registration or that the Commission has not set a hearing, as it reflects poorly on the party's commitment to transparency and accountability,' the ruling read. The decision added that Duterte Youth 'should have demonstrated good faith compliance with the law and the constitution as an earnest performance of its duty to the electorate.' The Comelec said Duterte Youth committed grounds for cancellation of registration when it fielded overage nominees in 2019. 'It is true that party-list organizations have the freedom to choose their nominees, often through their own internal mechanisms. However, this freedom is not without limits. While the Court recognizes party autonomy, party-list groups must still operate within statutory framework. Unarguably, Section 9, R.A. 7941 listed the qualifications of party-list nominees, including the highly disputed age qualification of at least 25 but not more than 35 years of age on the day of the election,' the decision said. 'Thus, when Duterte Youth deliberately accommodated its overaged candidate just a few hours before the 13 May 2019 National and Local Elections, arguing that it has all the freedom to choose whoever it chooses as nominee, its bona fide intent to represent the youth sector becomes clouded with doubt. To stress, it is the nominee who has to qualify in representing the sector, not the other way around. The sector cannot be tailored to fit the nominee's profile,' the poll body added. Further, the Second Division ruled the Duterte Youth party-list violated Section 2(3), Rule 2 of Resolution No. 9366 when it used the machinery of the National Youth Commission to promote their candidacy. The party-list likewise 'undermined the spirit and intent of the party-list system and put a mockery in the election process' when it withdrew and substituted en masse its nominees in 2019. 'It is the duty of the Commission to respond when the technicalities of election laws are being exploited and used as tools for manipulation. To find otherwise would be to encourage the abhorrent practice of hunting for loopholes and to keep a blind eye on corruption and abuse of the system,' the ruling said. GMA Integrated News has reached out to the Duterte Youth Party-list for comment. 'Not yet final' Meanwhile, poll chief George Erwin Garcia said the decision is not yet final and executory as the party-list may still file a motion for reconsideration (MR) with the Comelec en banc. 'Bagamat yun ang naging decision ng Comelec division, may remedyo ang naturang partylist. Maaari pa rin silang mag-file ng motion for reconsideration upang maresolve yan ng Commission en banc,' Garcia said. (The partylist may still avail of legal remedies. They can file a motion for reconsideration with the Comelec en banc.) —RF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
10-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Duterte Youth asked to explain nominee's use of 'Cardema' in CONA
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued a letter to the Duterte Youth partylist, asking the organization to explain its first nominee's use of a different surname on her Certificate of Acceptance of Nomination (CONA) for Eleksyon 2025. In a virtual interview on Tuesday, Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said their law department wrote to Drixie Mae Cardema, directing her to address her use of a different family name on her CONA. This, after reports on social media alleged that her actual name was Drixie Mae Suarez. 'Ginawa ng law department na letter instead kasi ayaw natin sabihin na may formal na kaso na agad sila na kakaharapin,' Garcia said. (We opted for a letter because we don't want to say that there will be formal charges against them.) 'Wala namang problema ang pagpapaliwanag muna kasi syempre. Ito ay motu proprio ng Commission,' he added. (There is no problem if we ask them to explain first.) The Duterte Youth party-list was provided three days to respond. Duterte Youth chairperson Ronald Cardema previously said their first nominee used a different surname for 'name recall'. '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 said. '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. Meanwhile, Garcia clarified the poll body is not singling out the partylist, adding the law department only 'needs to settle the issue.' 'Ang ating garantiya sa mismong nominee, wag silang mag-alala. The Comelec will always be fair, impartial, and will always be reasonable and just sa pagtingin sa issue na ito,' he added. (We want to assure the nominee that the Comelec will always be fair, impartial, reasonable, and just in deciding on this case.) Garcia previously 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. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
06-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Duterte Youth nominee's use of different surname for 'name recall' —Cardema
The Duterte Youth party-list on Friday explained that the alleged use of its first nominee of a different surname is for 'name recall." 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
GMA Network
05-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Comelec to Duterte Youth Nominee: Explain use of different surname
The law department of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to issue a motu proprio show-cause order (SCO) against the first nominee of the Duterte Youth for allegedly using a different surname on her Certificate of Acceptance of Nomination (CONA) for Eleksyon 2025. Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said the Law Department will direct Drixie Mae Cardema to answer allegations that she used a different family name for her CONA. Reports on social media alleged that the full name of the Duterte Youth nominee was Drixie Mae Suarez and not Cardema. 'Ang Law Department namin ay kumilos na sa allegations and any moment from now, ang nominee ng Duterte Youth ay maaaring makatanggap ng SCO dahil sa allegations ng paggamit ng ibang family name,' Garcia said. (The Comelec Law Department is now taking action and the DY nominee may receive the SCO.) 'Maganda yun para kahit paano mapasagot ang naturang first nominee dahil napaka-unfair din naman sa kanya na inaakusahan sya ng kung ano-ano sa social media,' he said. (This will give the nominee a chance to explain the accusations against her.) Garcia clarified the case will not affect Drixie's nomination and possible proclamation as no formal petition was filed for the cancellation of her nomination. 'Ang isang kandidato pag nag-submit sa Comelec, ang lahat ng sina-submit nya katulad ng certificate of candidacy ay under oath. Pinanumpaan yan at therefore, kapag hindi ka nagsabi ng totoo, perjury yan and election offense. Kaya gusto natin alamin din, kaya ang kumikilos ng motu proprio ay ang Law Department,' he said. (When candidates submit their candidacies, their documents are submitted under oath. Therefore, lying on these documents may be considered perjury or an election offense. That's why there is an investigation.) 'Technically, wala pong effect whatsoever sa nomination ng naturang number one nominee,' he added. (Technically, this will not affect her nomination.) It can be recalled that the Duterte Youth ranked second in the party-list race for Eleksyon 2025, garnering 2.3 million votes. However, the Comelec, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, postponed their proclamation due to their pending cases. —LDF, GMA Integrated News
