3 more Duterte Youth nominees may be charged

MANILA, Philippines — Apart from Ronald Cardema, three other nominees of partylist group Duterte Youth are facing possible election offense for applying to become its nominees despite being overaged, an official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said yesterday.

Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said she tasked the poll body’s Law Department to look into possible “material misrepresentation” committed by the three other nominees when they filed their Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA).

These are second nominee Gian Carlo Galang, 34; third nominee Catherine Santos, 33; and fourth nominee Kerwin Pagaran, 31.  The fifth nominee, Sharah Shane Makabali, is 29 years old.

Guanzon said the three nominees have submitted their CONAs even if they do not meet the age requirement of a youth sector partylist group that they are supposed to represent.

They comprised the second set of nominees of Duterte Youth after the original set, led by Cardema’s wife Ducielle Marie Cardema, withdrew its nomination.  

Instead, Cardema and the other second group of nominees have applied as substitute-nominees.

Under the Party-List System Act, nominees of a youth sector must at least be 25  but not more than 30 years old on the day of elections.  

Last Aug. 5, Comelec’s First Division cancelled Cardema’s CONA citing his being overaged to represent the youth sector at the age of 34.

The following day, Duterte youth submitted third set of nominees with Cardema, its president, secretaray general and chairperson, as leading nominee once again.

Guanzon maintained the group is now in danger of not having representative in the House of Representatives where they won a seat during the May 2019 midterm polls.

“This would not have happened if Cardema did not kick out his wife because his wife is qualified,” she added.