MANILA – A Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner clarified the poll body has no final decision yet on the bid of Ronald Cardema to substitute as Duterte Youth party-list representative at the House of Representatives.
Comelec commissioner Rowena Guanzon said the Comelec en banc is still studying the petition of Cardema contrary to reports on Wednesday that the poll body accepted the latter’s substitution bid.
“Pagu-usapan pa po ‘yan ngayong week na ito, not within 24 hours,” Guanzon said. “Inaaral kung valid ba ‘yung withdrawal, qualified ba ‘yung mga representatives.”
“Kasi pag nagregister sila as a youth sectoral party-list, dapat 30 years old and below on the day of election,” she added.
Duterte Youth party-list was one of the 51 party-list groups proclaimed by Comelec on Wednesday at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
Cardema, a staunch supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte, recently filed a petition to replace his wife Ducielle Suarez, as the first nominee of the Duterte Youth party-list.
Critics slammed Cardema for supposedly making a mockery of the party-list system. They raised questions in Cardema’s qualification to represent Duterte Youth given his age. /PN
