More than 100 organizations and councils of youth and students, led by Kabataan Tayo ang Pag-asa (KTAP), are calling for the disqualification or removal of the Duterte Youth Party-list’s registration from the Commission on Elections (Comelec). They said the party has never represented their sector’s interests and harmed them instead.

Ronald Cardema founded Duterte Youth in 2016 to support Rodrigo Duterte, a murderer, corrupt official, and fascist. It misrepresents the youth’s interests.

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. In the 2025 elections, it has questionably won three seats.

The student groups’ united statement said that the party-list system plays a key role in ensuring proper representation and voice for the poor in the House of Representatives. “However, the integrity of this definition comes into question with the existence and registration of several dubious and fake party-lists,” the statement said.

Kontra Daya’s data shows that 86 of 156 parties that ran in the party-list elections are parties of political dynasties, big businesses, and the military or police; they face corruption cases, have untrustworthy advocacies, or provide insufficient public information. Duterte Youth is among them.

The groups said that Duterte Youth boasts of its advocacy against “leftist groups,” which it uses for the Red-tagging campaign, baseless accusations, and spreading misinformation targeting progressive groups and youth.

“What they frame as patriotism is, in truth, a systematic campaign that endangers lives, undermines democracy, and suppresses dissent,” the statement said.

For this reason, KTAP considered Duterte Youth a “serious threat” to the safety of youth, students, and progressive individuals. “This malignant behavior is more than enough to justify the filings of disqualification cases against the group,” the statement said.

They urged Comelec to immediately revoke the registration of Duterte Youth. They also called on fellow Filipinos and youth to unite and denounce parties like Duterte Youth that endangers the youth.

On May 8, youth leaders filed a new petition with Comelec to cancel the registration of the party. Leading the filing of the petition were 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. The National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) stood as their counsel.

In April, KTAP filed a Motion to Urgently Resolve the earlier disqualification case against Duterte Youth, which has been pending since 2019.

The groups’ statement further said that Filipinos need genuine representatives in government. In connection with this, they also called for amending the law on party-lists to discourage parties like Duterte Youth cannot to use and exploit it.