P3PWD party-list asks Comelec to junk Cardema petition

The P3PWD party-list, represented by former Commission on Elections  (Comelec)  Rowena Guanzon, on Tuesday asked the Comelec to dismiss the petition filed by Ronald Cardema of the Duterte Youth party-list to deny P3PWD's Manifestation of Intent to Participate (MIP) in the May 2025  polls.

In their response to Cardema's petition, the P3PWD Party List also said the poll body may suspend the instant proceedings of the petition pending the resolution of a 2019 case nullifying the registration of  Duterte Youth, on the ground that it had not complied with publication and public hearing requirements.

Guanzon filed the P3PWD party-list’s response to Cardema’s petition with her legal counsel, Lawyer Emil Marañon, before the Comelec.

“‘Yung publication is very important because nagkakaroon lang ng jurisdiction  ang Comelec to hear and decide the petition to register the moment na  nagkaroon ng publication… If tiningnan mo ang record ng Duterte Youth,  never sila nag-publish… Ibig sabihin, hindi nagkaroon ng jurisdiction ang Comelec, hindi rehistrado ang Duterte Youth,” said Marañon.

(The publication requirement is very important because it gives the Comelec jurisdiction to hear and decide the petition filed. Duterte Youth  never published, thus, they were unregistered.)

“Ni-raise  namin ito sa sagot ni Commissioner Guanzon at ng kaniyang party-list. Ang sinasabi namin, 'Bakit ka nakapag-file ng kaso, eh hindi ka naman  rehistrado?'” he said.

(We raised this because if they were unregistered. How can they file the case?)

“Pag binasa mo ang rules ng Comelec, only natural and juridical persons can  file a case before the Comelec. Eh hindi naman tao si Duterte Youth.  Second, juridical person ba siya? Hindi naman siya korporasyon, at saka  hindi siya rehistrado sa Comelec… Technically, hindi sya nage-exist sa  mata ng batas so dapat hindi siya pinayagan na mag-file ng kaso sa  Comelec,” he added.

(As per Comelec rules, only natural and juridical persons can file a case before the Comelec. Duterte Youth is not a person nor a juridical person. Technically, they don’t exist  under our laws.)

Last month, Cardema asked Comelec to deny the MIP of the P3PWD party-list for supposedly failing to meet the deadline for the filing of MIPs on December 29, 2023.

Guanzon, for her part, said Cardema was making it a “personal obsession” to oppose her following his disqualification as a nominee of Duterte Youth in 2019  for being overaged.

“Si Cardema, ever since na pinaupo na  congressman, he made it a personal obsession na kontrahin niya ko…Hindi  lang naman ako ang bumoto na hinid siya qualified, lahat naman ng en  banc. Unanimous naman na hindi siya qualified,” Guanzon said.

(Cardema made it a personal obsession to oppose me. But it was not my sole decision to disqualify him. The en banc ruled that he was not qualified.)

In 2022, Cardema questioned Comelec's decision to recognize Guanzon as a substitute nominee of P3PWD.

Case resolution

Meanwhile, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said the poll body would hasten the case resolution to finalize the qualified party-lists for next year’s elections.

“Katulad ng dati,  mamadaliin natin sapagkat gusto natin malaman sino ba talaga ang pinal  na dapat mapasama sa listahan ng mga party-lists sapagkat ang plano ng  Comelec, ngayong August na gusto na natin mag-raffle ng numbers ng  party-lists,” he said.

(As usual, we will expedite the resolution to finalize the lists of party-lists. We are looking to raffle the party-lists electronically this August.)

“Nagco-conduct tayo ng electronic raffle upang number na lang ang pagtatalunan ng mga  party-lists. Of course, hindi natin pwedeng gawin yung raffle para sa  ibang positions,” he added.

(We do that so the party-lists would only fight over the numbers.) — DVM, GMA Integrated News