The Commission on Elections (Comelec), acting as the National Board of Canvassers, officially suspended the proclamation of the Duterte Youth Party-list on May 19 as the party faces disqualification cases. The party’s victory in the party-list elections is questionable. It was supposed to seat three representives in Congress.

As early as 2019, youth leaders filed a petition to revoke the Duterte Youth’s registration. The disqualification case was filed on the grounds of (1) lack of proper registration as a party in the party-list system with Comelec, (2) failure to comply with other legal requirements to be recognized as a party in the said system, and (3) actions showing that they misrepresent the youth, such as its attempt in 2019 to install staunch Duterte loyalist former National Youth Commission (NYC) Chairperson Ronald Cardema who was already 34 years old at the time. Comelec rules state that only those aged 30 and below may represent the youth sector.

On March 25, the youth, led by Kabataan Tayo Ang Pag-asa (KTAP), filed a “Motion to Resolve” urging the agency to immediately decide on the disqualification case that has been pending for six years. A few days before the proclamation, the youth again filed a petition to stop the proclamation of Duterte Youth until Comelec addresses the disqualification petition.

In addition, a separate disqualification petition was filed on May 8 by University of the Philippines Student Regent Francesca Duran, Polytechnic University of the Philippines Student Regent Troy Cabangon, and Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines National Coordinator Rachelle Junsay. Their lawyers from the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) also joined.

The youth leaders cited numerous documented cases of Red-tagging by the Duterte Youth Party-list and its leaders against progressive parties, organizations, and individuals during the campaign period. They said this violates Comelec Resolution 11116 and Supplemental Resolution No. 11127, which prohibit any labeling such as Red-tagging that endangers groups and individuals during the campaign.

Meanwhile, KTAP issued a statement where no less than 100 organizations, councils, and publications of youth and students expressed support and called for the disqualification of Duterte Youth. They said that the party has never represented the interests of their sector and instead has harmed them .

“Deserve!,” incoming Kabataan Party-list representative Atty. Renee Co said regarding the suspension of the Duterte Youth proclamation. Kabataan is among those targeted by Duterte Youth’s Red-tagging, accusing the group of links to the armed revolutionary movement.

Atty. Co added that she welcomed this first step and said that Kabataan Party-list, together with other youth groups, will continue to monitor until Duterte Youth is finally stripped of its registration, as she said, it is a false youth party.

Ronald Cardema founded Duterte Youth in 2016 to support Rodrigo Duterte, a murderer, corrupt official, and fascist. The group misrepresents the interests of the youth. It ran in the party-list elections in 2019 and 2022, where it secured one seat. Its representatives in Congress have done and proposed almost nothing.

Aside from Duterte Youth, the proclamation of the victory of the Bagong Henerasyon party is also suspended facing a complaint.