Comelec issues certificate of finality on cancellation of Duterte Youth

Duterte Youth Party-list chairman Ronald Cardema (File photo)

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday said it has issued a certificate of finality and entry of judgment on its decision to cancel the registration of Duterte Youth.

It will now tackle the redistribution of the three seats won by the party list.

“The clerk of this Commission had just issued today (Sept. 30) a certificate of finality and entry of judgment on the decision of the en banc [regarding the cancellation of Duterte Youth’s registration],” Comelec chair George Erwin Garcia said in an online interview with reporters.

The Comelec en banc will hold a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the effects of the issuance of the certificate, particularly to decide which party lists will benefit from the three seats originally allotted to Duterte Youth.

READ: Comelec en banc upholds ruling canceling Duterte Youth’s registration

Garcia explained that the Commission issued the certificate of finality because the Supreme Court did not issue a temporary restraining order within 30 days after the Comelec en banc upheld the cancellation of the registration of Duterte Youth on August 29.

“This means the decision is final as far as the Comelec is concerned, and the decision of the Commission en banc can now be implemented,” he said.

On Sept. 3, the Duterte Youth party list filed a petition for a TRO before the Supreme Court in order to stop the Comelec from cancelling its registration.

This was after the Comelec Second Division issued a resolution on June 18 based on a petition filed by youth leaders in 2019, which sought to nullify the registration of the party list for not following the procedures mandated under the Party-list System Act.

READ: Comelec cancels Duterte Youth based on 2019 complaint

The petition claimed that the Comelec en banc had approved the registration of Duterte Youth, even though its 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.

Because of this, the Comelec Second Division ruled that Duterte Youth’s registration was void from that beginning. 

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

The Comelec en banc later affirmed the cancellation of the Duterte Youth’s registration, denying the motion for reconsideration filed by the party list on June 23.

The en banc said Duterte Youth failed to raise substantial evidence when it sought to reverse the ruling of the Second Division.

During the midterm elections last May, Duterte Youth ranked second in the party list race.

Its proclamation, however, was deferred pending the resolution of cases. /apl /gsg