Cardema’s bid to be Duterte Youth sub ‘not disqualified’ – Comelec

National Youth Commission Chairman Ronald Cardema (Photo from an RTVM video)

MANILA, Philippines — The application of National Youth Commission (NYC) chair Ronald Cardema to become the substitute nominee for the Duterte Youth party-list group has not been disqualified, Director Frances Arabe of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Saturday.

“Let us wait for the commission en banc to release their decision,” Arabe told reporters at the Comelec Command Center in Pasay City.

Cardema wants to be substitute nominee for his wife, Ducielle Marie Suarez Cardema, as first nominee of the Duterte Youth.

Arabe clarified that Cardema filed his application on May 12, 2019, contrary to earlier reports that he filed it on May 16.

“We would just like to correct info given yesterday that the filing of petition for substitution is dated May 12, 2019 so it was filed before Election Day not May 16,” Arabe said during the press briefing.

Arabe explained that the deadline for substitution and withdrawal was on Election Day, which was May 13 at 6 p.m.

On Thursday, Kabataan party-list Rep. Sara Elago said Cardema’s petition was unlawful, noting that a party-list nominee could only be substituted “when he dies, or his nomination is withdrawn by the party, or he becomes incapacitated to continue as such, or he withdraws his acceptance to the nomination.”

READ: Substitution period for poll bets over – Comelec

Arabe said the Comelec law department had not released a resolution regarding Cardema’s application for substitution.

“As long as he complied with the requirements of the law, submit the petition and it gets submitted, the law department makes a recommendation and submits it to the en banc,” she said.

–With a report from Jaymee T. Gamil

(Editor: Alexander T. Magno)