QUIAPO, Manila — The Duterte Youth party-list, led by Ronald Cardema, has formally requested the COMELEC to bar the Komunidad ng Pamilya, Pasyente at Persons with Disabilities (P3PWD) party-list from participating in the 2025 midterm elections through a 14-page petition filed on Monday, June 3.
The Duterte Youth’s petition says that P3PWD failed to submit their Manifestation of Intent to Participate (MIP) on time.
COMELEC had set the deadline for December 29, 2023, but P3PWD submitted their MIP on January 9, 2024, 11 days late.
“The Respondent (P3PWD) filed its MIP on January 09, 2024, the second week of January, or 11 days after the December 29, 2023, deadline,” stated the petition.
The Duterte Youth’s argument is backed by a Comelec statement issued on January 10.
In this statement, Comelec released a list of 106 party-lists that submitted their MIPs on time, and P3PWD was notably absent from this list.
This petition marks the latest chapter in a series of disputes between Cardema and Rowena Guanzon, the representative of P3PWD and a former Comelec commissioner.
Their conflict dates to the 2019 elections when Guanzon questioned Cardema’s inclusion in the list of Duterte Youth’s nominees.
Cardema, on the other hand, had previously challenged Guanzon’s approval as a substitute nominee for P3PWD during the 2022 polls.
If the Comelec accepts the Duterte Youth’s petition, P3PWD will be disqualified from participating in the upcoming elections.
Cardema emphasized the importance of adhering to election rules.
“The rules are in place for a reason. Deadlines ensure that the process is orderly and fair for everyone,” he said.
Meanwhile, Guanzon has publicly responded to the petition via an X post.
“Whatever more evil he does, R. Cardema can never be Congressman of that youth sector party list because he is overaged. We in P3PWD party list continue to serve our PWD sector, the elderly, and their families. We are genuine marginalized sector. We deserve a voice in congress”
Whatever more evil he does, R. Cardema can never be Congressman of that youth sector party list because he is overaged.
— Rowena Guanzon (@rowena_guanzon) June 3, 2024
We in P3PWD Party List continue to serve our PWD sector, the elderly and their families.
We are a genuine marginalized sector, we deserve a voice in Congress. pic.twitter.com/lp23JEoFeT
She has been vocal about her commitment to fair representation and her criticism of what she perceives as attempts to undermine the democratic process.
The Comelec’s decision on this petition will not only impact the Duterte Youth and P3PWD, but also set the tone for the enforcement of election rules in the future.