The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has cancelled the registration of the Duterte Youth Party-list, officially known as Duty to Energize the Republic through the Enlightenment of the Youth Sectoral Party-list Organization, citing multiple violations of registration rules.
In a decision promulgated on June 18, 2025, the Comelec Second Division ruled in favor of a 2019 petition filed by Reeya Beatrice Magtalas, Abigail Aleli Tan, Raainah Punzalan, and Aunell Ross Angcos. The petition challenged the Duterte Youth’s registration on the grounds of non-compliance with jurisdictional and continuing requirements mandated for party-list groups.
The Comelec declared the party-listโs registration โvoid ab initio,โ or invalid from the outset, due to its failure to comply with the basic legal requirements of publication and hearingโprocedures meant to ensure transparency, accountability, and public participation in the registration process.
โDuterte Youth cannot merely hide under the convenient excuse that the Commission had not required it to publish its petition or set a hearing,โ the ruling read. โIt reflects poorly on the partyโs commitment to transparency and accountability.โ
The ruling also cited violations of Section 2 and Section 2(3), Rule 2 of Comelec Resolution No. 9366, including the fielding of ineligible nominees and the improper use of government machineryโspecifically the National Youth Commissionโto promote their candidacy.
While political groups are free to choose their nominees, the Comelec emphasized that such freedom has limits, especially when representing a specific sector.
โSection 9 of Republic Act 7941 clearly outlines the qualifications for party-list nominees, including the age requirement of at least 25 but not more than 35 years old on election day,โ the decision stated.
The commission criticized the Duterte Youth for accommodating an overaged nominee just hours before the May 13, 2019 elections, arguing that such a move undermined the partyโs bona fide intent to represent the youth.
โThe nominee must qualify to represent the sectorโnot the other way around. The sector cannot be tailored to fit the nominee’s profile,โ the ruling added.
Comelec had previously withheld the Duterte Youthโs proclamation pending resolution of the case. Despite the legal controversy, the party-list ranked among the top three vote-getters in the most recent party-list elections.
Comelec Chairperson George Garcia clarified that the ruling is not yet final and executory. The Duterte Youth Party-list may still file a motion for reconsideration.