Supreme Court junks petition challenging proclamation of Duterte Youth

The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed youth leaders' petition challenging the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) proclamation of Duterte Youth party-list.

"The Court resolved to dismiss the petition for failure to sufficiently show that the Commission on Elections committed grave abuse of discretion in rendering the challenged minute resolutions which, on the contrary, appear to be in accord with the facts and applicable law and jurisprudence," the court said.

The resolution was dated November 3, 2020 but a notice was released to the media only on Tuesday.

The petitioners, five youth leaders, had argued that the proclamation of Duterte Youth was unconstitutional because there was an unresolved case at the Comelec seeking to nullify the registration of the party-list.

"This brazen accommodation of the seemingly sacred Duterte Youth is the most unconstitutional act ever done by Comelec in its 80-year history," the petitioners said.

Ducielle Cardema was sworn in as Duterte Youth representative last October. Her husband, former National Youth Commission chair Ronald Cardema, was a party-list nominee until he was disqualified for being overaged.

Comelec chair Sheriff Abas said the poll body resolved to grant a certificate of proclamation to Duterte Youth in September, a decision that was opposed by Commissioner Rowena Guanzon.

Guanzon said there were two pending cases against Duterte Youth and Cardema that should have been resolved before the Comelec decided whether to issue a certificate of proclamation.

"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. — BM, GMA News