THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc has affirmed the cancellation of the registration of the Duty to Energize the Republic Through the Enlightenment of the Youth (Duterte Youth) Party-list. In a resolution promulgated on Aug. 29, the commission denied the appeal filed by Duterte Youth to reverse the June 18 ruling of its Second Division that voided the party-list’s registration. The case originated from a petition filed on Sept. 3, 2019, by Reeya Beatrice Magtalas, Abigail Aleli Tan, Raainah Punzalan and Aunell Ross Angcos, arguing that Duterte Youth’s registration failed to comply with jurisdictional requirements, including publication and public hearing of its petition for registration. The Comelec en banc said it found no merit in Duterte Youth’s appeal, stating that the Second Division’s decision was “well-supported by the evidence on record and is consistent with applicable law.” It emphasized that the duty to publish the required documents lay with the party-list organization itself, a legal prerequisite that Duterte Youth failed to fulfill. The Comelec also upheld the Second Division’s finding that Duterte Youth committed multiple grounds for cancellation. The party-list was found to have made untruthful statements in its petition, particularly regarding the eligibility of its nominees, and lacked a bona fide intention to represent the youth sector. The Comelec said the group also advocated violence or unlawful means to achieve its goals and was determined to be an adjunct of, or an entity funded by the National Youth Commission. The commission rejected Duterte Youth’s argument that the petition was moot because it had won a seat in the elections. The Comelec said there is no prescriptive period for canceling a party-list registration. With the ruling, the Comelec can proceed to remove Duterte Youth from the party-list system. In a statement on Friday, Duterte Youth Chairman Ronald Cardema said the group will file a petition for review at the Supreme Court. Cardema claimed that some employees of the Comelec negotiated with losing party-lists to disqualify Duterte Youth so that they could usurp its seats in the House. The former National Youth Commission chief said the party-list had the highest number of votes among overseas Filipinos, as well as among police and soldiers through local absentee voting. Duterte Youth received 2.3 million votes, giving it three seats, but its proclamation has been suspended because of the nullification petition. The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives cheered the disqualification of Duterte Youth. In a statement, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Renee Co said the decision is a “victory for authentic youth representation in the country.” “The Duterte Youth was never established to advance the genuine interests of Filipino youth. Instead, it served as a tool for red-tagging and attacking progressive youth organizations while masquerading as a legitimate sectoral representative,” Co said. Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio said that with the disqualification of Duterte Youth, the Comelec must immediately proclaim qualified party-list groups such as Gabriela Women’s Party, which he claimed has been unjustly denied its rightful seat. “Every day that passes without Gabriela Women’s Party’s proclamation is another day that Filipino women are deprived of their voice in crafting laws that affect their lives and welfare,” Tinio said. The bloc alleged that groups such as Duterte Youth have “corrupted” the party-list system. In a Facebook post on Friday, Emil Marañon III, the lawyer for nullification petitioners, said that by voiding Duterte Youth’s registration, the Comelec “has finally corrected years of impunity that allowed Duterte Youth to participate in the 2019, 2022 and 2025 party-list elections, even when it is not technically registered before the Comelec.” The Comelec decision “is more than a legal victory, it is a strong signal that accountability can prevail over political manipulation,” Marañon read. He said he hoped the ruling will also spark reforms in the party-list system. “This victory comes at an opportune time when the party-list system has been overrun by political dynasties, traditional politicians, and the rich and powerful. We hope that this case sparks a long-overdue conversation on party-list reform, that is, to reclaim the party-list system for the truly marginalized and underrepresented sectors of our society, as intended by the framers of the 1987 Constitution,” Marañon said.