Comelec’s Guanzon denies extortion allegation, won’t inhibit from Duterte Youth’s Cardema case

MANILA, Philippines — Commission on Elections Commissioner Rowena Guanzon on Saturday denied the extortion allegation hurled against her by Duterte Youth party-list group’s Ronald Cardema, saying the aspiring politician was trying to provoke her, and then seek her recusal from his disqualification case.

At a press conference, Cardema accused Guanzon of sending an emissary to Duterte Youth to ask him favors and money in exchange for his party-list group’s accreditation.

Cardema made the remarks as he faces a disqualification case that could dash his dream of becoming a congressman and represent the Duterte Youth, which won congressional seats during the midterm polls.

READ: Cardema denies threatening Comelec’s Guanzon, accuses poll official of 'playing victim'

In a string of retaliatory tweets, Guanzon said that while she won’t file a libel case yet, she won’t inhibit from the cases against Cardema, who was disqualified by Comelec as representative of Duterte Youth for being overage.

“He (Cardema) is baiting me so he can move to inhibit,” Guanzon said. “A friendly [advice] to @RonaldCardema, he should study his case and get good lawyer.”

Cardema was 34 when he belatedly sought to replace his wife as the nominee of a sector wherein an age limit is specified by law: between 25 to 30 years.

Guanzon recently reported receiving threats apparently from Duterte Youth after Comelec’s First Division cancelled Cardema’s nomination as a representative of the Duterte Youth.

Cardema denied that his group was behind the threats against Guanzon and accused the poll official of “playing victim.”

Cardema had appealed his disqualification, arguing that the poll body had no jurisdiction over his case because the matter should have been handled by the House Electoral Tribunal since Duterte Youth won in the elections. 

He added that “to limit the qualification of the group’s nominees to 30 years old is erroneous” because Duterte Youth was “registered and approved as a sectoral party representing the youth and young professionals.”