The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has yet to decide whether controversial former National Youth Commission Chair Ronald Cardema is qualified to be the nominee of the Duterte Youth party list, which won a seat in Congress based on results of the recently concluded midterm polls.
In her Twitter account on Thursday, Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon denied that a resolution giving due course to Cardema’s application for substitution had already been issued by the poll body.
“Chair [Sheriff] Abas emphasized that he signed a [resolution] giving due course to Cardema’s application for substitution, but whether he is qualified to substitute is another matter,” Guanzon said in her post.
Guanzon said Cardema filed his substitution bid on a Sunday, not a regular work day. She said she will dissent once the resolution is issued.
The poll body also has to resolve pending petitions on whether Cardema, 33, is qualified to represent a youth party list given that under the law, a nominee of the youth sector should not be more than 30 on Election Day.