Former Comelec commissioner Rowena Guanzon and Duterte Youth's Ronald Cardema. ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA (2nd UPDATE) — Former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon has called for the dismissal of a petition filed by Duterte Youth leader Ronald Cardema.

• Guanzon files criminal, administrative complaints vs. Cardema 

Last month, Cardema filed a petition asking Comelec to bar the P3PWD party-list from participating in the 2025 elections.   

Guanzon, who represents the P3PWD Party-list, filed on Tuesday her answer to the petition at the Comelec Main Office in Intramuros, Manila. 

“Wala naman itong petisyon niyo eh, basura ito eh. Basura. P3PWD Party-list was already given due course kaya pina-publish kami. There is nothing to stop or to cancel,” she said. 

(This petition is nothing but trash. P3PWD Party-list was already given due course since we published. There is nothing to stop or to cancel.)

• Guanzon says 'no ethical issue' in Comelec allowing her party-list substitution 

“Sana nakita niyo nung May 26 nag-republish kami ng order and manifestation of intent to participate. It’s in the records of Comelec that we filed it on time. Gusto niyo lang guluhin ako,” Guanzon explained.   

(We republished on May 26 our order and manifestation of intent to participate. It's in the records of Comelec that we filed it on time. They just want to bother me.)

LATE SUBMISSION?

P3PWD filed its manifestation of intent to participate on January 9, 2024. 

However, Guanzon said filing after the December 29, 2023 deadline is not against the law, citing Republic Act No. 7941 or the Party-List System Law.

• Poll chief: Only 14 party-list groups accredited for 2025 polls so far 

"There is nothing contrary to law na we filed after the first deadline. Why? Because the Party-list Act provides that you can file a manifestation of intent to participate within, as long as it is not within 90 days prior to an election. Eh December palang eh. Ang election May. Masyado naman pong maaga yung deadline na yun," she said. 

(There is nothing contrary to law that we filed after the first deadline. Why? Because the Party-list Act provides that you can file a manifestation of intent to participate within, as long as it is not within 90 days prior to an election. It's only December. The election is in May. The deadline is too early.) 

Guanzon said the poll body also has the power and discretion to move its deadlines.

ISSUES VS DUTERTE YOUTH 

Election lawyer Emil Maranon, who represents Guanzon, also raised a petition he filed in relation to Duterte Youth in 2019. 

He said Duterte Youth does not have any proof of the publication of its Petition for Registration, citing Comelec records. 

"Comelec mismo nagsasabi na hindi dumaan sa publication [ang Duterte Youth]. Yung publication is very important because nagkakaroon lang ng jurisdiction ang Comelec to hear and decide the petition to register the moment nagkaroon ng publication in two newspapers of general circulation. If tingnan niyo records ng Duterte Youth, never sila nagpublish," Maranon explained.

• Lacson: Cardema, Duterte Youth are why party-list system now 'a joke' 

(Comelec itself said it [Duterete Youth] did not go through publication. Publication is important because Comelec only has jurisdiction to hear and decide the petition to register the moment there is publication in two newspapers of general circulation. If you look at the records of Duterte Youth, they never published.) 

"Hindi nagkaroon ng jurisdiction ng Comelec, hindi rehistrado ang Duterte Youth. It is a continuing anomaly why Duterte Youth keeps on participating in the election without being registered," he added. 

(The Comelec does not have jurisdiction because Duterte Youth is not registered.) 

Maranon also said Duterte Youth cannot file a case since only "natural and juridical" persons can file a case before the Comelec, citing the poll body's rules.

Maranon is hopeful the poll body can resolve the 2019 case involving Duterte Youth. 

In a statement, Cardema denied the claims of Guanzon and Marañon, saying they have been attacking him and his wife since 2019. 

"Pinagpasa-Diyos na lang namin lahat ng ka-demonyuhan na pinag-gagawa samin noong 2019-2020. Clearly, we did not retaliate or personally attack them, when we assumed power in Congress in 2020 for all those trauma & personal/libelous media attacks we got from them," he said.

He said their group only filed a petition against Guanzon in 2022, questioning why the Comelec allowed her substitution as P3PWD party-list representative. 

The Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) preventing Guanzon to sit in Congress.

Cardema said the recent petition they filed merely points out the failure of P3PWD party-list to meet the Comelec's deadline.

"Hindi naman pwede na lahat ng partylists at kandidato sa bansa, sumusunod sa deadlines ng Comelec noong 2022 at for 2025, tapos sila hindi susunod at mabigyan ng special treatment dahil lamang dun siya galing di ba. Kahit sinong simpleng Pilipino na gusto sumali, pag beyond the deadline, sa tingin niyo tatanggapin yung atin? Di ba hindi. Dapat patas ang deadline," he said.

"Kakasuhan namin yan ng ilang counts ng libel, ng disbarment sa pagiging unprofessional na abogado sa trabaho at sa mga public attacks nila noon hanggang ngayon," Cardema said.

The Duterte Youth Chairman also denied he has a personal vendetta against Guanzon following his disqualification as the party-list's representative.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said they are looking into the petition.

"Titingnan natin yung mismong akusasyon ng petitioner at yung naging kasagutan ng party-list ng dating Commissioner ng ating Commission on Elections," he said.

The poll body chief committed to quickly resolve the said case.

"Katulad po ng dati mamadaliin natin yan kasi gusto natin malaman, sino ba talaga ang pinal na dapat makasama sa listahan ng mga party-list. Sapagkat ang plano po ng Comelec ngayong August na po, gusto na po natin mag raffle ng party-list. Tatandaan natin sa party-list po hindi alphabetical," Garcia added.

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