"Show some respect for the Comelec."
"Show some respect for the Comelec."
This farce perpetrated by Ronald Cardema and his so-called Duterte Youth Party-list continues to pester the Commission on Elections. This is simply disgusting.
Worse, the House leaders have gotten into it, as if to validate what is clearly a case of misrepresentation by Cardema and his cohorts.
Rep. Mikee Romero, president of the so-called Party-list Coalition Foundation, circulated among party-list congressmen a blank sheet of paper for them to sign, to be attached to House Resolution no. 552 purportedly to express their support to the proclamation of the representative of the duly elected Senior Citizen party-list.
Unfortunately, our very own colleagues in the Anti-Crime and Terrorism Through Community Involvement and Support—namely Representatives Jocelyn Tulfo and Niña Taduran—were among those misled into signing HR 552. They are now constrained to issue a disclaimer/clarification on the issue.
ACT-CIS Party-list first nominee Rep. Eric Yap strongly believes that the Duterte Youth's case should be left in the hands of the Comelec and that any attempt to intrude into the poll body's independence merely puts the entire party-list system in bad light.
The resolution, signed by at least 17 representatives, mostly members of the party-list coalition, urges the Comelec to issue the certificate of proclamation for the Duterte Youth, as well as the Senior Citizens party-list.
They must realize that with the petition to cancel Duterte Youth's registration, they are still bound to deal with the Comelec, anyway.
It further condemns the poll body for “violating the Constitution” for failure to resolve the case on Duterte Youth, practically depriving its representation. This is nothing but hogwash.
Understandably, Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon went ballistic over the latest political maneuvering and manipulation among the lawmakers, and I empathize wholeheartedly.
In the first place, what business does the party-list coalition and the House leaders have encroaching and telling Comelec, an independent constitutional body, what to do?
Asking Comelec to issue the certificate of proclamation of the Duterte Youth Party-list would be sheer travesty, a mockery of the Omnibus Election Code. The case is mired in irregularities owing to the illegitimacy of overaged Cardema's nomination as youth representative.
The House leaders and the party-list leaders must show Comelec some respect and leave it to the poll body to resolve the issues revolving around Duterte Youth, which legitimate youth groups out there call a "fake youth party-list.
