Cardema withdraws as Duterte Youth partylist nominee
Published Sep 16, 2019 02:21 pm
By Leslie Ann AquinoÂ
Former National Youth Commission chairperson Ronald Cardema has withdrawn his nomination as First Nominee of the Duterte Youth Partylist.
Duterte Youth representative Ronald Cardema
(PCOO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) In the Notice of Withdrawal, Cardema said he was sacrificing himself for the partylist so that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) can already issue a Certificate of Proclamation (COP). "Even with our strong faith in the Comelec En Banc that it will side with our Motion for Reconsideration and will protect us now from the harassment of their corrupt colleague, with all humility I withdraw from my nomination to sacrifice myself for party-list so that the Comelec can immediately release the Certificate of Proclamation of the Comelec-approved succeeding nominee and to give justice to the votes of 350,000 Filipinos whom we desire to immediately serve with their needed medical assistance, requested patriotic projects, and activities for nation building," the Notice filed at the Comelec Law Department on September 13 read. "It is my prayer that this personal sacrifice be accepted and proceed now to the immediate release of the COP of the succeeding nominee of the Duterte Youth Party-list," it further read. In his Notice of Withdrawal, Cardema lamented how Duterte Youth has been unable to claim its seat in Congress months after the May 13 polls, citing the continued public harassment of Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon as reason. "More than 350,000 Filipinos voted and gave their mandate to Duterte Youth party-list last May 2019 and, until now, we are not able to take our duly-proclaimed seat in Congress because of the public harassment towards me by Commissioner (Rowena) Guanzon," it read. "It is now public knowledge that the camp of the said commissioner requested and forced favors from us by making us believe we needed her signature in our registration," To recall, Cardema accused Guanzon of trying to extort money and secure political favors from Duterte Youth in exchange for a favorable decision for the organization which the latter already denied. The en banc decided to withhold the COP of Duterte Youth due to pending cases against Cardema. A COP is a requirement by the House of Representatives in allowing winning congressmen to assume their posts. The Comelec First Division already declared Cardema as ineligible for being overaged, since under the law, a youth sector party-list representative must be between 25 to 30 years old. The group then submitted a new set of nominees to the poll body with Cardema and his wife Ducielle as first and second nominees, respectively. Cardema's camp also submitted a motion seeking a reversal of the decision of the Comelec First Division. In his motion, he insisted that he was not overaged since Duterte Youth is a multi-sectoral party and not solely for the youth sector.
Duterte Youth representative Ronald Cardema(PCOO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) In the Notice of Withdrawal, Cardema said he was sacrificing himself for the partylist so that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) can already issue a Certificate of Proclamation (COP). "Even with our strong faith in the Comelec En Banc that it will side with our Motion for Reconsideration and will protect us now from the harassment of their corrupt colleague, with all humility I withdraw from my nomination to sacrifice myself for party-list so that the Comelec can immediately release the Certificate of Proclamation of the Comelec-approved succeeding nominee and to give justice to the votes of 350,000 Filipinos whom we desire to immediately serve with their needed medical assistance, requested patriotic projects, and activities for nation building," the Notice filed at the Comelec Law Department on September 13 read. "It is my prayer that this personal sacrifice be accepted and proceed now to the immediate release of the COP of the succeeding nominee of the Duterte Youth Party-list," it further read. In his Notice of Withdrawal, Cardema lamented how Duterte Youth has been unable to claim its seat in Congress months after the May 13 polls, citing the continued public harassment of Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon as reason. "More than 350,000 Filipinos voted and gave their mandate to Duterte Youth party-list last May 2019 and, until now, we are not able to take our duly-proclaimed seat in Congress because of the public harassment towards me by Commissioner (Rowena) Guanzon," it read. "It is now public knowledge that the camp of the said commissioner requested and forced favors from us by making us believe we needed her signature in our registration," To recall, Cardema accused Guanzon of trying to extort money and secure political favors from Duterte Youth in exchange for a favorable decision for the organization which the latter already denied. The en banc decided to withhold the COP of Duterte Youth due to pending cases against Cardema. A COP is a requirement by the House of Representatives in allowing winning congressmen to assume their posts. The Comelec First Division already declared Cardema as ineligible for being overaged, since under the law, a youth sector party-list representative must be between 25 to 30 years old. The group then submitted a new set of nominees to the poll body with Cardema and his wife Ducielle as first and second nominees, respectively. Cardema's camp also submitted a motion seeking a reversal of the decision of the Comelec First Division. In his motion, he insisted that he was not overaged since Duterte Youth is a multi-sectoral party and not solely for the youth sector.