Youth Leaders File Petition Against Duterte Youth
Several youth leaders filed a petition before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to cancel the registration of the Duterte Youth Party-list. They are urging the poll body to issue a show cause order and disqualify Duterte Youth from the upcoming elections.
According to the petitioners, Duterte Youth violated Comelec Resolution No. 11127 by red-tagging party-lists and individuals linked to the communist movement in Facebook posts and livestreams between February and April.
Red-Tagging: A Serious Election Offense
Ephraim Cortez, the petitioners’ lawyer, emphasized that red-tagging during election season is a punishable offense that cannot be ignored. “It is not just a smear tactic,” he said, “but a direct threat to life, liberty, and security, as recognized by the Supreme Court.”
Cortez warned that allowing Duterte Youth to continue red-tagging endangers democratic space and puts lives at risk.
Petitioners and Duterte Youth’s Response
The petitioners include Rachelle Pagsanjan Junsay of Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines, Michael Troy C. Cabangon, a PUP Student Regent, and Francesca Mariae M. Duran, a UP Student Regent.
Meanwhile, Duterte Youth chair Ronald Cardema defended their posts as “truthful facts.” He expressed confidence that the petition is easily answerable. Cardema also announced plans to file a disqualification case against Kabataan Party-list.
He accused Kabataan’s spokesperson and other youth leaders of having ties to the New People’s Army (NPA), citing deaths of some members labeled as terrorists. Cardema also referenced a court conviction against ACT-Teachers Party-list’s France Castro for allegedly endangering students by bringing them to an NPA area.
Cardema further pointed to photos of Kabataan leaders with suspected NPA members who were killed, aiming to question their credibility.
With the election period underway, this dispute highlights the rising tensions around red-tagging and political accountability among youth groups in the Philippines.