Comelec to proclaim party-lists taking over Duterte Youth seats

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is poised to proclaim on Thursday, Oct. 2, the party-list groups that will take over the three seats secured by the Duterte Youth in the May midterm polls.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the proclamation will take place at the commission’s session hall in Manila at 1:30 p.m. He did not disclose the groups that will be proclaimed.

The Comelec en banc certified with finality the cancellation of Duterte Youth’s registration. It became immediately executory.

The Comelec Second Division found the party-list’s registration void from the start for “failure to comply with the publication and hearing requirements.”

Other grounds include “untruthful” statements on the eligibility of its nominees; no bona fide intention to represent the sector; advocated unlawful means to achieve its goal; being an entity assisted by the National Youth Commission; violated election rules and laws; and filing of petition to put the poll process in mockery.

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The commission also noted the Duterte Youth’s repeated switching of nominees during the 2019 national and local elections, which, it said, “undermine the spirit and intent of the party-list system.”

The Comelec earlier suspended the proclamation of the group amid a pending case over supposed promotion of violence and vote buying. The party-list challenged the poll body’s decision with the Supreme Court.

NewsWatch Plus has reached out to the Duterte Youth for a comment.