THE attempt of National Youth Commission (NYC) Chair Ronald Cardema to become a party-list nominee will likely become futile, as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday, May 17, pointed how the period to substitute nominees for party-list groups is already over.
"I think we have published rules for that and that the period for substitution has already lapsed. The period of substitution has already lapsed," said Comelec spokesman James Jimenez in a media briefing.
Jimenez's comment came after Cardema supposedly filed a motion to become a substitute nominee of the Duterte Youth party-list.
This was after Cardema's wife and Duterte Youth's first nominee, Ducielle Marie Suarez, withdrew her acceptance to the nomination of the group.
Under Comelec Resolution 3307, a party-list nominee may only be substituted if he dies, or his nomination is withdrawn by the party, or he becomes incapacitated to continue as such, or he withdraws his acceptance to the nomination.
No substitution, however, shall be allowed by reason of withdrawal after the close of polls, added the Comelec resolution.
In any of the aforementioned cases, Comelec rules provide that the name of the substitute nominee shall be placed last in the list of the group's nominees.
Based on the list of nominees filed by Duterte Youth, its other nominees are Joseph de Guzman (2nd), Benilda de Guzman (3rd), Arnaldo Villafranca (4th), and Elizabeth Anne Cardema (5th).
Based on the latest tally of the NBOC, Duterte Youth is at 22nd place with 275,979 votes.
Asked whether it was the first time that such an attempt to be a substitute party-list nominee is being sought, Jimenez answered in the negative.
"Not by a long shot. People do it all the time," said Jimenez.
For its part, poll watchdog group, Kontra Daya, said the Comelec must be firm in its rules not to allow what is a "patently illegal substitution."
"Allowing it will cement public perception that the Comelec is under the control of the Duterte cabal in MalacaƱan Palace," it said in a statement.
"The Comelec should dismiss outright this prohibited pleading from Cardema and save whatever little is left of the integrity of the party-list system. The Comelec should not be a party to the further erosion and destruction of this system by allowing such a patently illegal substitution," added Kontra Daya. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)