Comelec to Cardema: Shut up!

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday directed the camp of former National Youth Commission (NYC) Chair Ronald Cardema to refrain from giving interviews or talking about his bid to be the party list representative of Duterte Youth.

“Please refrain from giving interviews because we are now holding hearings so the case is already sub judice,” said Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon, who gave the same directive to several petitioners in the case who had questioned Cardema’s age and his last-minute bid to replace his wife as Duterte Youth’s first nominee.

‘Very talkative’

“(Cardema) has been very talkative lately,” Guanzon said.

Despite Cardema being 34 and over the allowed age limit of 30 to be a youth party list representative, his camp said that there was no misrepresentation on his part as Duterte Youth aims to represent the youth as well as young professionals.

“The respondent belongs to the professional sector,” said Cardema’s lawyer George Garcia during the Comelec First Division hearing on the disqualification case against the former NYC head.

But Emilio Marañon III, counsel for petitioners of the National Union of Students of the Philippines, College Editors Guild of the Philippines and Youth Act Now Against Tyranny, countered Cardema’s claim and said that Duterte Youth registered itself as a representative of the youth sector.

The Comelec also disclosed that 38 out of the 51 winning party list organizations have already received their certificates of proclamation (COPs), a requirement by the House of Representatives before allowing their representatives to assume their posts.

Given their COPs were Bayan Muna, Patrol, Kabayan, Abono, Amin, Bagong Henerasyon, TUCP, Diwa, A Teacher, Agap, CWS, Bahay, TGP, RAM, Dumper PTDA, Probinsyano Ako, Manila Teachers, Philreca, Apec, Recoboda, Ako Padayon Pilipino, Kabataan, Marino, Galing sa Puso, 1-Pacman, Ako Bisaya, An Waray, Ako Bicol, Ang Probinsyano, Tingog, Sagip, LPGMA, OFW, ACT-CIS, Alona, Kalinga, Abang Lingkod and BHW. —Tina G. Santos