Duterte Youth moves to block P3PWD party-list 2025 bid

THE rivalry between Ronald Cardema of the Duterte Youth and former Elections Commissioner Rowena Guanzon of the P3PWD party-list is set for another sequel.

This after the Duterte Youth party-list group yesterday filed before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) a Petition to Deny Due Course to the Manifestation of Intent to Participate (MIP) in the May 2025 party-list elections against the P3PWD.

In its 14-page petition, the Duterte Youth group said that P3PWD must not be allowed to participate in the next elections after it filed its MIP beyond the deadline.

“The MIP of Respondent must be denied for its failure to file within the deadline set by this Honorable Commission,” it said, adding: “In view of the foregoing premises, the Petitioner hereby respectfully prays that this Honorable Commission grant this Petition, and to deny due course to the Manifestation of Intent to Participate in the party-list elections for the May 2025 National and Local Elections of Respondent P3PWD.”

It alleged that the P3PWD was only able to file its MIP on January 9. The deadline for the filing of the MIP at the Comelec was set on December 29.

“The Respondent filed its MIP on January 09, 2024, the second week of January, or 11 days after the December 29, 2023 deadline,” said the Duterte Youth.

It cited as proof a Comelec statement containing a list of 106 party-lists that timely filed their MIPs, which was supposedly released on January 10.

“Apparently, of the 106, Respondent was not included. Respondent was not able to file its MIP within the strict deadline set by the Honorable Commission,” said Duterte Youth.

To recall, Guanzon was a staunch critic of Cardema and the Duterte Youth group during her term as Comelec commissioner after the party-list repeatedly filed, withdrew, and refiled different sets of nominees during the 2019 polls.

Come the 2022 elections, Cardema questioned the approval of Guanzon as a substitute nominee of P3PWD.