QUEZON CITY – The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) today assisted youth leaders in filing a petition* before the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to cancel the registration of Duterte Youth Party-list. The petition cites repeated and malicious red-tagging by Duterte Youth and its chairperson Ronald Cardema as clear violations of COMELEC Resolution No. 11127, which prohibits and penalizes labeling and discrimination as election offenses.
Filed by Rachelle Pagsanjan Junsay, National Coordinator of the Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines (YACAP); Michael Troy C. Cabangon, PUP Student Regent; and, Francesca Mariae M. Duran, UP Student Regent, the petition demonstrates how Duterte Youth weaponized social media to label legitimate party-list groups and their representatives as “terrorists” and “recruiters of the NPA,” without any proof or due process.
“This is a legal reckoning,” said Atty. Ephraim B. Cortez, NUPL President and lead counsel for the petitioners. “The law is unequivocal: red-tagging during the election period is a punishable election offense. It cannot be tolerated, least of all by groups seeking to sit in Congress and represent the Filipino people.”
The petition catalogs a series of incendiary Facebook posts and livestreams made by Duterte Youth between February and April 2025, where the group accused ACT Teachers Party-list, Gabriela Women’s Party, Kabataan Party-list, and senatorial candidate Liza Maza of communist affiliation without offering any evidence. These reckless accusations, made in the midst of the official campaign period, directly violate COMELEC rules designed to protect electoral integrity and civic participation.
“Red-tagging is not a mere smear tactic. As the Supreme Court has itself acknowledged, red-tagging is a threat to life, liberty, and security,” Atty. Cortez stressed. “Allowing parties like Duterte Youth to continue weaponizing red-tagging erodes democratic space and puts lives at risk.”
The petition calls on COMELEC to immediately issue a show cause order and, after due process, to cancel Duterte Youth’s registration and disqualify it from participating in the 2025 party-list elections.
“We challenge the COMELEC to uphold the sanctity of elections and ensure that impunity does not fester within the very institutions meant to protect the people’s will,” Atty. Cortez added. “This petition is a decisive stand that the ballot must never be a platform for threats, hate, or disinformation.” ###
*Full petition and annexes in PDF are available upon request.
Reference:
NUPL Public Information Office
nupl2007@gmail.com
