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Comelec approves Cardema's application as Duterte Youth House rep

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<p>MANILA<strong> (UPDATE)</strong> - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday said it accepted the Duterte Youth Party-list’s petition to name former youth commissioner Ronald Cardema as one of its nominees in the House of Representatives. </p><p>&quot;The substitution of Ronald Cardema as Duterte Youth nominee has been approved, with one Commissioner dissenting and one abstention,&quot; Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The substitution of Ronald Cardema as Duterte Youth nominee has been approved, with one Commissioner dissenting and one abstention. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NLE2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NLE2019</a> <a href="https://t.co/EvJVD6vtgk">pic.twitter.com/EvJVD6vtgk</a></p>— James Jimenez (@jabjimenez) <a href="https://twitter.com/jabjimenez/status/1135823300498563072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2019</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon, however, clarified that it was only Cardema&#x27;s application for substitution that was given &quot;due course.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Re:Cardema Not the substitution but his application for substitution was given due course. His substitution is not yet granted because there is a pending petition or opposition on the ground that he us over 30 yrs old and cannot be a rep of a youth sector party list.</p>— Rowena V. Guanzon (@commrguanzon) <a href="https://twitter.com/commrguanzon/status/1135842089667710977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2019</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>&quot;His substitution is not yet granted because there is a pending petition or opposition on the ground that he us over 30 yrs old and cannot be a rep of a youth sector party list,&quot; Guanzon added.</p><p>The withdrawal documents submitted by the Duterte Youth&#x27;s first 5 nominees were &quot;in compliance&quot; with existing party-list laws, the poll body said in its Resolution No. 10529.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez: The substitution of Ronald Cardema as Duterte Youth nominee has been approved, with one Commissioner dissenting and one abstention. <a href="https://t.co/swLJVcMkjq">pic.twitter.com/swLJVcMkjq</a></p>— Kat Domingo (@_katrinadomingo) <a href="https://twitter.com/_katrinadomingo/status/1135824237128605697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2019</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Comelec chief sheriff Abas and commissioners Al Parreño,Socorro Inting, Marlon Casquejo, and Antonio Kho Jr. approved Cardema&#x27;s substitution bid, while Guanzon was the lone dissenter.</p><p>&quot;By their own admission and declaration, they are more than 30 years of age on election day... Their ineligibilities are beyond dispute,&quot; Guanzon said in her dissenting opinion.</p><p>Comelec Commissioner Luie Tito Guia abstained from voting as he earlier thumbed down the accreditation of the Duterte Youth as a party-list.</p><p>&quot;I abstained to be consistent with my earlier vote to deny the accreditation,&quot; Guia said in a note written above his signature.</p><p>The party’s first 5 nominees, including Cardema&#x27;s wife Ducielle, filed their notices of withdrawal on May 12 or a day before the elections. Cardema sought the substitution on the same day. </p><div><strong>REASONS FOR WITHDRAWAL OF CANDIDACY</strong></div><p>Cardema&#x27;s wife withdrew because she could &quot;no longer fulfill the expectations set forth by the party,&quot; the same Comelec resolution showed. </p><p>The party-list&#x27;s second nominee Joseph De Guzman said he wanted to support the group&#x27;s cause &quot;away from public opinion,&quot; while third nominee Benilda De Guzman withdrew her candidacy to pursue her &quot;passion for teaching.&quot;</p><p>Other original nominees Arnaldo Villafranca and Elizabeth Anne Cardema said they backed out as nominees to enjoy &quot;privacy&quot; and &quot;fulfill&quot; their obligations with their respective families.</p><p>Before the resolution was released, Cardema&#x27;s bid faced 10 oppositions. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/24/19/cardema-party-list-substitution-bid-faces-more-than-10-oppositions-comelec">Cardema party-list substitution bid faces &#x27;more than 10&#x27; oppositions: Comelec</a></li></ul><p>Despite this, Cardema was present at the proclamation of winning party-list groups on May 22. He was known to have also attended a meeting of sectoral representatives earlier that week and added &quot;incoming congressman&quot; to his personal information on his Facebook page.</p><p>Sen. Panfilo Lacson earlier slammed Cardema’s move to take the youth representative&#x27;s seat. </p><p>Cardema and his party-list are &quot;just two of many reasons why the party-list system has become a joke,&quot; Lacson said in a tweet.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/21/19/lacson-cardema-duterte-youth-are-why-party-list-system-now-a-joke">Lacson: Cardema, Duterte Youth are why party-list system now &#x27;a joke&#x27;</a></li></ul><p>Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo distanced the executive branch from the issue.</p><p>&quot;We do not intrude nor interfere into the proceedings of any branch of the government or any constitutional body,&quot; he told Palace reporters.</p><p>Prior to Cardema&#x27;s foray in Congress, he served as National Youth Commission chair and declared support for the Duterte administration.<br/> </p>

<p>The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday said it accepted the Duterte Youth Party-list’s petition to name former youth commissioner Ronald Cardema to its seat in the House of Representatives. </p>

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday said it accepted the Duterte Youth Party-list’s petition to name former youth commissioner Ronald Cardema to its seat in the House of Representatives.