The Supreme Court (SC) was asked on Tuesday, Oct. 27, to nullify the proclamation of Ducielle Marie S. Cardema as representative of the Duterte Youth Party-List in Congress.
In a petition, the SC was told that Cardema was proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) despite the pendency of several cases on the alleged non-registration of her party-list to join in the 2019 election.
Cardema’s husband, Ronald Cardema who was former chairperson of the National Youth Commission had been disqualified as Duterte Youth Party-List nominee for being overage.
Listed as petitioners were Aunell Ross Angcos, Raainah Punzalan, Reeya Beatrice Magtalas, Raoul Danniel A. Manuel, and Abigail Alili Tan.
Named respondents were the officers of the Duterte Youth (Duty to Energize the Republic Through the Enlightenment of the Youth Sectoral Party-List Organization) and the Comelec.
Their petition was filed through lawyers Emilio L. Maranon III, Ernelson q. Trojillo, and Rod Ryan S. Suaco.
The petition told the SC:
“If the proclamation of PRIVATE RESPONDENT DUCIELLE CARDEMA is not reversed pending this case and she be allowed to assume her office as party-list representative of the youth sector in the House of Representatives, it would work injustice to PETITIONERS who all belong to the youth sector.
“The assumption of PRIVATE RESPONDENT DUCIELLE CARDEMA as Member of the House of Representatives occupying the slot for the youth sector would unduly deprive PETITIONERS of TRUE and EFFECTIVE REPRESENTATION in said body and would erode the public’s trust in the party-list system.
“The proclamation of PRIVATE RESPONDENT DUCIELLE CARDEMA and her assumption to office are in violation of the rights of PETITIONERS as litigants with respect to their suits pending before COMELEC which were bypassed by the assailed Minute Resolution No. 20-0382.
“With the proclamation of DUCIELLE CARDEMA and with the acquisition of jurisdiction by the HRET would give COMELEC an excuse to dismiss their unresolved cases.”
The petitioners asked the SC to issue a status quo ante order or a writ of preliminary injunction “to restore the status of PRIVATE RESPONDENT DUTERTE YOUTH and its purported First Nominee DUCIELLE MARIE S. CARDEMA prior to the issuance of the assailed Minute Resolution No. 20-0382 or to undo her assailed illegal proclamation pending the resolution of this case.”
The Comelec’s Minute Resolution No. 20-0383 dealt on the Duterte Youth’s certificate of proclamation.