Comelec: Duterte Youth can’t assume office without lift order by June 30
Duterte Youth Party-list chairman Ronald Cardema–INQUIRER.net file photo
MANILA, Philippines — Duterte Youth Party-list can’t assume office on June 30 without a decision to lift the order suspending its proclamation in the 2025 midterm elections, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said the lift order must come by noon of June 30.
“In the meantime, if June 30, 12:01 p.m. comes and the Comelec en banc still has no decision to lift the order to suspend the proclamation, it seems that the nominees of the party-list can’t assume office yet,” Garcia, speaking in mixed English and Filipino, told reporters in an online interview.
READ: Comelec 2nd Division cancels Duterte Youth party-list’s registration
The party-list ranked second in the last May elections with a total of 2,338,564 votes. However, its proclamation was suspended due to its pending cases before the poll body.
The Comelec Second Division on Wednesday ruled to cancel the party-list’s registration. The decision stemmed from a 2019 case filed by youth leaders seeking to nullify the group’s registration status due to the lack of publication and hearing of the party-list’s accreditation.
However, the decision of the division is not yet final and executory as the party-list can seek legal remedies, such as filing for a motion for reconsideration.
Three prerequisites
Garcia also cited three prerequisites to officially become a member of the House of Representatives: proclamation, oath-taking, and assumption of office.
“Because remember, the National Board of Canvassers suspended their proclamation so the first requisite is not fulfilled,” Garcia said.
Garcia reiterated the poll body’s earlier commitment to resolve pending cases filed before the Comelec before June 30, but he said that he does not want to impose a time limit on the Commission en banc.
Garcia earlier cited the Supreme Court where the Comelec will only lose jurisdiction if all of the three requisites are done: proclamation, oath taking, and assumption of office. He noted that the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal will handle the case of Duterte Youth once the poll body loses jurisdiction over it.
READ: Duterte Youth asks SC to compel proclamation
Further, Garcia said that the Comelec will comply once it receives an order from the Supreme Court (SC) to proclaim Duterte Youth as a winner in the party-list race.
“As long as they receive an order from the High Court saying that the Comelec must proclaim them and lift the order of the suspension, we will immediately comply,” Garcia added.
The party-list earlier asked the SC to issue a temporary restraining order on the suspension of its proclamation.
