Comelec suspends Duterte Youth proclamation amid pending cases

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) suspended the proclamation of the Duterte Youth party-list, which secured over 2.3 million votes, due to pending cases.

Duterte Youth, represented by former Rep. Ronald Cardema, has questioned the suspension before the Supreme Court, filing a petition for certiorari seeking a temporary restraining order against the Comelec's National Board of Canvassers.

Cardema stated that the group was only informed of the suspension on Tuesday afternoon, just hours before the proclamation, suggesting the timing was deliberate.

He also alleged grave abuse of discretion by the Comelec, questioning their authority to decide when to proclaim duly elected winners.

The pending cases against Duterte Youth include a five-year-old petition to nullify its registration and a distinct case from that which led to the cancellation of Cardema's nomination in 2019.

Youth leaders, represented by the Kabataan Tayo ang Pag-asa (KTAP) electoral watchdog group, are urging the Comelec to resolve the registration case pending since January 2020.

Duterte Youth argues that the Comelec's resolution is unconstitutional and attempts to revive dismissed issues from previous cases.