SC denies Duterte Youth’s plea for TRO on revoked registration

Facade of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. | PHOTO: Official website of the Supreme Court / sc.judiciary.gov.p

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court has denied the Duterte Youth party list’s appeal for a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) cancellation of its registration.

In a resolution dated Sept. 30, the Supreme Court en banc, without giving due course to the main petition, rejected the group’s prayer for a TRO, writ of preliminary injunction, status quo ante order, and its motion for a special raffle, supposedly to address the urgency of the matter.

The high tribunal, however, required respondents Comelec, Reeya Beatrice Magtalas, Abigail Aleli Tan, Raainah Punzalan, and Aunell Ross Angcos to comment on the petition within 10 days from notice.

The resolution stemmed from Duterte Youth’s petition filed in September, which challenged the poll body’s two resolutions—one issued by the Second Division on June 18, which canceled its registration, and the other from the Comelec en banc on Aug. 29 that affirmed the Second Division’s resolution and dismissed the group’s motion for reconsideration.

READ: Duterte Youth appeals revoked registration before Supreme Court

The Supreme Court resolution was issued on the same day that the Comelec released a certificate of finality and entry of judgment on its decision to cancel the party list’s registration.

Duterte Youth secured three seats in Congress after placing second in the May 2025 elections with more than 2.3 million votes.

The Comelec, however, revoked the group’s registration in June based on a 2019 petition filed by the youth leaders who questioned the validity of the party list’s registration in 2018.

READ: Comelec issues certificate of finality on cancellation of Duterte Youth

They said the poll body had approved the registration, even though Duterte Youth’s petition to participate as a party list was not published in at least two newspapers of general circulation, and no proper hearing was held on its application for accreditation.

For that reason, the Comelec Second Division ruled that Duterte Youth’s registration was void from the beginning.

It also cited the party list for committing prohibited acts under the election law, such as the lack of bona fide intention to represent the youth sector, advocating violence, and getting assistance from the government.

READ: Comelec proclaims 3 party-lists to replace Duterte Youth at the House

Gabriela Women’s Party, which was 54th in the race, was able to secure a seat after the Comelec en banc approved a resolution on Sept. 3 increasing the number of party list seats in the House from 63 to 64.

Earlier this month, the Comelec proclaimed three party lists–Abono, Ang Probinsyano, and Murang Kuryente–which took over the three seats vacated after the cancellation of Duterte Youth’s registration./mcm