'Real Filipino youth' reject Duterte Youth Rep's proclamation
MANILA, Philippines — A total of 122 youth organizations, student councils and publications on Saturday issued a statement to oppose the proclamation of Party-list Rep. Ducielle Cardema (Duterte Youth), saying it will "legitimize a bogus youth party-list."
“Duterte Youth is unregistered, with several pending cases, per the Omnibus Election Code. Under this law, the party-list should have never been included in the 2019 ballots for failure to meet the minimum requirements of publication. This makes the proclamation of Duterte Youth both illegal and unconstitutional,” read the Saturday statement.
The youth groups said that if the Commission on Elections proceeds to proclaim the Duterte Youth into Congress, they will challenge this before the Supreme Court.
“We call on the COMELEC Commissioners not to sacrifice their integrity over this clear as day illegal and unconstitutional act. Power is not forever and so are their positions. There will always be a day of reckoning.”
The signatories also said that Duterte Youth is not a real party-list with a clear constituency consisting of a marginalized sector.
“By its name alone, Duterte Youth shows it does not serve the Filipino Youth. It is mostly led by non-youth individuals and is nothing but a cheap, lying and willing puppet of a regime that has lost the confidence and support of the Filipino youth.”
Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas during a Thursday budget hearing said that the poll body issued a certificate of proclamation to Cardema two weeks ago.
Abas said that only one more commissioner's signature remains pending before Cardema is proclaimed as a winner in the 2019 midterm elections.
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