Duterte Youth party-list chairman Ronald Cardema filed a petition on Tuesday seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Commission on Elections (Comelec) after the group’s proclamation was unexpectedly halted.
Cardema accused the Comelec of “grave abuse of discretion,” saying the group was informed only hours before the proclamation ceremony that they would not be included. “If we had been told last week, we could have taken action. But informing us just hours before seems deliberate,” he said in an interview.
The Duterte Youth garnered 2.3 million votes in the 2025 midterm elections, securing the second-highest tally among 156 party-lists. Despite this, Comelec suspended the proclamation of both Duterte Youth and Bagong Henerasyon due to unresolved legal cases.
Cardema pointed out that the case cited by Comelec was filed in 2019 and has not prevented their previous proclamations in 2019 and 2022. “Why is it only now, when we’re set to win three seats, that these cases are being treated as serious?” he questioned.
The petition names Comelec and the National Board of Canvassers as respondents. Comelec Chair George Garcia acknowledged the move as an expected legal remedy. Meanwhile, Supreme Court spokesperson Atty. Camille Ting confirmed that petitions with TRO requests are treated as urgent and are promptly addressed.