Comelec pressed to decide on Duterte Youth DQ; proclaim Gabriela
MANILA, Philippines — Several groups on Wednesday urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to disqualify with finality the Duterte Youth Party-list and proclaim Gabriela Party-list as winner in the party-list race of the 2025 midterm elections.
Gabriela and Kabataan Tayo ang Pag-asa (KTAP) said that the Comelec should immediately decide on the case of Duterte Youth Party-list, whose registration got cancelled by the Comelec Second Division due to issues of failure to publish party-list accreditation.
The case has now been elevated to the Comelec en banc.
According to KTAP National Convenor Brell Lacerna, the Comelec en banc should now decide whether or not to disqualify the Duterte Youth Party-list.
“Seal the decision to disqualify [the] Duterte Youth Party-list. This is the people’s call and the ball is now on Comelec en banc on whether they will finally disqualify the Duterte Youth on the basis of nullifying its registration,” Lacerna told reporters in Filipino.
READ: No to dynasty backdoor! Groups urge Comelec to disqualify Duterte Youth
KTAP earlier snet a letter to the Comelec to call for the immediate actions on the petitions filed against the Duterte Youth.
The Comelec Second Division last June 18 cancelled the registration of Duterte Youth based on the 2019 petition filed by youth leaders seeking to nullify the party-list’s registration for failure to publish its accreditation.
The Duterte Youth ranked second in the party-list race in the 2025 midterm elections, which supposedly earned them three seats, but its proclamation was suspended due to its pending case before the Comelec.
READ: Comelec 2nd Division cancels Duterte Youth party-list’s registration
Gabriela’a appeal
Meanwhile, Gabriela wrote to Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia, noting that the letter included appeals of different individuals and women organizations from the marginalized sectors.
“We urge you to consider our appeal for genuine representation, especially for marginalized sectors like the vast majority of impoverished women in the country. We appeal to the Commission to proclaim the most consistent champion of women’s and people’s rights in Congress— Gabriela Partylist,” the letter read.
Gabriela Deputy Secretary General Cora Agovida said that even if the decision on the disqualification is not yet final, they hope that the poll body proclaims the Gabriela Party-list as winner.
“That is our call, for them to heed the appeal of ordinary voices of women with groups calling for the proclamation of Gabriela Party-list as the genuine representation of women in the Congress.”
READ: 53 party list winners proclaimed today
Gabriela Party-list ranked 55th in the party-list with a total of 256,811 votes. The Comelec distributed a total of 63 seats for the party-list race but Philreca, ranking 54th in the race, earlier filed a manifestation and motion to declare that the total number of party-list seats to be allocated should be 64, and not 63.
Republic Act 7491 or the Party-list System Act states that party-list representatives should make up 20% of the total number of seats in the House of Representatives.
Dividing the current 254 seats allotted for district representatives by 80% will result in 317.5. The Philreca argued that the 20% of 317.5 that is 63.5 should be manifested as 64.
Garcia previously said that the Comelec is studying the legal issue on the total number of seats allocated for party-lists. He acknowledged contentions and studies revolving around the issue.
When asked of the probability of other winning party-lists garnering more seats once the Duterte Youth is disqualified and its three seats are distributed, Agovida said that they may be saddened but they will continue to appeal for their call.
“Of course, this is being discussed by the Gabriela Party-list. We will still form steps and processes in the legal way,” Agovida said.
For Lacerna’s part, he said that the Comelec should rethink distributing the seats to the representatives of the marginalized sectors.
“If the party-lists with more seats are proclaimed, we really urge the Commission on Elections to rethink about that and at the same time, really adhere to the calls of the people to proclaim those in the tail end for the marginalized sector.” Lacerna said.
‘Premature request’
When asked for a reaction on the groups’ appeal to the poll body, Garcia told INQUIRER.net: “Premature the request is. The en banc case must first be resolved.
Garcia earlier said that there is no proper discussion yet on whether the losing party-lists can assume seats in the 20th Congress amid the decision on Duterte Youth.
He explained that it’s not appropriate to discuss it since the decision is not yet fueled with finality. /gsg
