Duterte Youth also represents 'professionals,' says Cardema lawyer

The camp of former National Youth Commission chief Ronald Cardema on Tuesday said he is still qualified to represent Duterte Youth in Congress despite his age since the party-list group represents the youth and professional sector.

"There is no argument about the age, but there is no misrepresentation as far as the organization is concerned. Their representation is for the youth and professional sector," said Cardema's counsel George Garcia during a hearing at the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

"The respondent cannot be classified as a member of the youth sector but he can be classified as a member of the professional sector."

The Comelec was tackling the oppositions filed against Cardema's last-minute bid to substitute his wife as a Duterte Youth party-list group nominee.

The petitions against Cardema is mainly anchored on the provision of the party-list law which states that "in case of a nominee of the youth sector, he must at least be 25 but not more than 30 years of age on the day of the election."

In his certificate of nomination and acceptance, Cardema listed his age as 34. But on his Facebook account, he listed his birthday as April 13, 1986, making him 33 years old on May 13, Election Day.

"So, there is no misrepresentation so to speak," Garcia added.

But for Emilio Marañon III, counsel for oppositors National Union of Students of the Philippines, College Editors Guild of the Philippines and Youth Act Now against Tyranny, Cardema can not use the word "professional" as a loophole because Duterte Youth registered itself as a representative of the youth and not just professionals, but young professionals sector.

"There is no excuse here because the word young was used as a qualifier, your honors, and this means professionals who can be 30 years old and below," Marañon said.

Likewise, Marañon cited that Cardema’s public statements never stated that Duterte Youth is representing the young professionals sector but a representative of the youth sector.

"In fact, he only said that he represents the professional sector when these petitions were already filed against him," he said.

"In all of their submissions, Duterte Youth has stated itself to be a representative of the youth sector. As such, the provisions set by the Republic Act 7941 should apply to him," Marañon added, referring to the party-list law. —KBK, GMA News