Group wants Duterte Youth accreditation nullified

MANILA, Philippines — A group of youths yesterday sought the nullification of Duterte Youth’s accreditation as a party-list group and to stop the organization from taking a sectoral seat in Congress.

In a petition filed before the Commission on Elections (Comelec), five persons – represented by lawyer Emil Maranon ­– said Duterte Youth’s registration as a party-list group is void from the start since the group failed to comply with the required publication and public hearing of its application for registration.

“The issue here is they deprived the general public the opportunity to question the Duterte Youth accreditation without the public hearing and publication of their application for registration,” Maranon said.

The petitioners also asked the Comelec to cancel the group’s registration on various grounds, including misrepresentation.

Critics of Duterte Youth could have filed an appropriate petition earlier had there been a publication and public hearing of its application for registration, he added.

Maranon noted that it is within the Comelec’s authority to resolve the issue of Duterte Youth’s accreditation since the group’s nominee has yet to be proclaimed.

If the Comelec grants the petition to nullify the registration of Duterte Youth, neither Ronald Cardema nor any of its other nominees can sit as youth sector representative in Congress, Maranon said.

He added that if the Comelec cancels the group’s registration, Duterte Youth can no longer participate in future elections unless its members change its name or form a new group.