MANILA — The Commission on Elections on Friday said it could resolve issues surrounding the proclamation of the Duterte Youth party-list before June 30.

The party-list named after former President Rodrigo Duterte is facing fresh questions about Rep. Drixie Mae Suarez Cardema, whose actual surname is apparently Suarez.

Drixie is the sister of Ducielle Cardema, wife of the group’s chairman Ronald Cardema.

Comelec to look into surname of Duterte Youth representative

The Duterte Youth, however, argued Rep. Cardema is using a “political name”, the same one that Ronald and Duciella tried to get elected to local positions in Laguna province under.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the commission is conducting "fact-finding" on the issue and that he does not want to preempt the Comelec Law Department.

“'Kung yan ang kanilang depensa, at least mayroon silang depensa sa paggamit sa family name na maaaring hindi yun ang family name ng naturang party-list nominee,” he said.

(If that is their defense, at least they have one for using a family name different from the party-list nominee's actual family name)

He added that questions on Rep. Cardema's real family name are secondary to the disqualification petition against the party-list that led to the suspension of their proclamation.

"Ang primary muna dapat talaga, asikasuhin muna ng komisyon 'yung issue na hinaharap ng partido mismo kung bakit sila na-suspend ng proclamation which is issue ng jurisdiction, issue ng accreditation,” he said.

(The primary task is to resolve the issue the party-list faces, which is the issue of jurisdiction and accreditation)

Petitioners against the group said Duterte Youth had not properly registered as a party-list group and should not have been allowed to run.

Garcia said the Comelec would "definitely and surely" resolve the issues by June 30, a deadline it gave itself early on.

Duterte Youth runs to Ombudsman in full-court press vs Comelec

Comelec Commissioner Rey Bulay said last month that he had already written the draft resolution on an earlier petition against the Duterte Youth and that it is already being passed around for the review and signature of other commissioners.