Comelec: Duterte Youth disqualification final

By Ferdinand Patinio, Philippine News Agency

In addition, the poll body noted that the withdrawal and substitution en masse, as well as the back-and-forth switching of Duterte Youth party-list nominees during the 2019 National and Local Elections undermine the spirit and intent of the party-list system and make a mockery of the election process. (File Photo by patrickroque01/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued a Certificate of Finality on the disqualification case against the Duty to Energize the Republic through the Enlightenment of the Youth Sectoral Party List Organization, also known as Duterte Youth Partylist.

In a resolution released Tuesday night, the Commission En Banc noted the decision of the Commission Second Division wherein it found that Duterte Youth Partylist’s registration is “void ab initio” or void from the beginning for failure to comply with the publication and hearing requirements, which are jurisdictional in nature.

Likewise, it found that the organization committed several other grounds for the cancellation of its party registration, which include the following:

–Untruthful statements in its petition, particularly on the eligibility of its nominees;

— No bona fide intention to represent the sector for which the Petition has been filed and, thus, prevent a faithful determination of the true will of the electorate;

— Advocated violence or unlawful means to achieve its goal;

— It was an adjunct of or an entity funded or assisted by the National Youth Commission;

— Violates or fails to comply with laws, rules or regulations relating to elections; and

— The petition has been filed to put the election process in mockery or disrepute.

In addition, the poll body noted that the withdrawal and substitution en masse, as well as the back-and-forth switching of Duterte Youth party-list nominees during the 2019 National and Local Elections undermine the spirit and intent of the party-list system and make a mockery of the election process.

“With the issuance of Certificate of Finality and Entry of Judgment, the Order of the Commission En Banc as to the cancellation of party-list registration of Duterte Youth is now declared immediately executory,” the resolution added.