Guanzon opposes Comelec decision to proclaim Duterte Youth rep

Published October 12, 2020 04:37 PM By NICOLE-ANNE C. LAGRIMAS,GMA News

Commissioner Rowena Guanzon has opposed the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) majority decision to proclaim Ducielle Cardema as a representative of the Duterte Youth Party-list.

Guanzon said there are two pending cases against Duterte Youth and Cardema that should be resolved before the Comelec decides whether to issue a certificate of proclamation.

"I cannot shirk from my duty to the Constitution. I cannot abide by any waiver of a constitutional requirement and the law for the sake of expediency," Guanzon said in an eight-page dissenting opinion.

"A vote to grant a Certificate of Proclamation is a betrayal of the Constitution and the duty imposed upon us as constitutional commissioners," she said.

One of the two cases seeks the cancellation of Duterte Youth's registration over its alleged failure to comply with publication requirements; the other wants Cardema disqualified over her alleged violation of election laws, rules, and regulations.

Both cases alleged that Duterte Youth and Cardema "advocated violence or unlawful means to seek Duterte Youth's goals," according to Guanzon.

"In issuing the Certificate of Proclamation, the Commission En Banc
presupposes the validity of Duterte Youth’s registration as well as the

eligibility---or the absence of disqualification---of Ducielle Cardema as the first nominee of the party," the commissioner said.

"This presumption however cannot stand in the face of the legal and constitutional infirmities that challenge the validity of Duterte Youth’s registration and Ducielle Cardema’s qualifications," she said.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is eyeing to release the certificate of proclamation for the Duterte Youth party-list "within the week," poll chairman Sheriff Abas said Thursday.

Cardema is the wife of former National Youth Commission chair Ronald Cardema, who was disqualified by the Comelec for being overaged. Youth party-list representatives must be 25 to 30 years old on election day; Cardema is 34.

The Comelec later approved substitute nominees for Duterte Youth: Ducielle Cardema, Guillermo Villarreal, Jr., Krizza Reyes, and Robert Garcia.

Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas said the poll body has granted the issuance of a certificate of proclamation for Duterte Youth last September.

Some lawyers said they are prepared to challenge the Comelec decision before the Supreme Court.—LDF, GMA News

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