ZAMBOANGA CITY – ON the heels of its decision affirming the cancellation of the registration of the Duterte Youth party-list, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to discuss this week the potential scenarios in the event that its ruling becomes final and executory.
In an interview here Friday, Comelec chairman George Garcia said the Commission en banc has included in the in its agenda this week the deliberations on which party-list will be named to replace Duterte Youth.
“This coming Wednesday, the Commission en banc will discuss (the scenarios) in case the cancellation of the registration of the Duterte Youth party-list becomes final… The Comelec en banc, acting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), will have to decide who we will proclaim for the three seats that will be vacated by the said party-list,” he said.
He said they will consult with the Comelec’s Law Department and the supervisory group of the NBOC.
The poll body en banc, voting 5-1-1, affirmed last Friday the cancellation of the registration of the Duterte Youth party-list.
In its 10-page resolution, the Comelec en banc ruled to affirm the June 18 decision of the Commission’s Second Division cancelling the registration of Duterte Youth party-list.
Duterte Youth may still appeal the poll body’s decision before the Supreme Court.
Garcia said the poll body will defer implementation of their decision until the ruling on Duterte Youth’s legitimacy becomes final and executory.
“We will first wait for the disposition of the Supreme Court as a judicial courtesy. We must wait for the period of finality,” he said.
The Duterte Youth received 2,338,564 votes in the May 2025 midterm polls and is entitled to three seats in the House of Representatives.
However, its proclamation was put on hold by the NBOC due to the pending cases it is facing at the time.
