Comelec Postpones Proclamation of Duterte Youth Successors Pending Supreme Court Review

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has confirmed its decision to revoke the registration of the Duterte Youth party-list but has opted not to proclaim other parties or nominees to fill the resulting House seats until the Supreme Court issues a final ruling.

In a statement from Zamboanga City, Comelec Chairman George Garcia emphasized the importance of waiting for the decision to become final and executory, noting the possibility that the case may be elevated to the Supreme Court. He explained, "We will first wait for the disposition of the Supreme Court as judicial courtesy. Therefore, we need to wait for the period of finality."

Garcia further revealed that the Comelec en banc is preparing for scenarios following the potential finality of the Duterte Youth cancellation. "On Wednesday (September 3), the Commission en banc will discuss who should replace the Duterte Youth party-list for the three seats they would have secured if the cancellation becomes final. The question is who the Commission should proclaim to occupy those seats," he stated.

As the National Board of Canvassers, the Comelec en banc will be responsible for deciding which party-list groups will fill the vacant positions. Garcia mentioned that consultations with the Comelec Law Department and supervisory bodies overseeing the National Board of Canvassers are underway to ensure procedural correctness.

The cancellation was affirmed last Friday following a 5-1-1 vote by the Comelec en banc. This upheld an earlier decision by the Commission's Second Division dated June 18 to cancel the Duterte Youth's registration, documented in a comprehensive 10-page resolution.

Despite the cancellation, the Duterte Youth is allowed to file an appeal with the Supreme Court. The party-list initially garnered 2,338,564 votes in the May 2025 midterm elections, granting them entitlement to three House seats. However, their proclamation had been suspended by the National Board of Canvassers amid pending legal challenges at that time.