SC resumes Duterte Youth oral arguments

The Supreme Court is set to resume oral arguments on the petition filed by the Duterte Youth Party-list which challenged the substitution of former Commission on Elections commissioner Ma. Rowena Guanzon as the P3PWD party-list nominee.

In a statement, the SC Public Information Office said the oral argument proceedings is scheduled to resume on 23 January 2024, at 2 p.m.

To recall, the petition was submitted by Duterte Youth to the SC questioning Guanzon’s substitution as the P3PWD party-list nominee.

Duterte Youth Party-List Representative Marie Cardema and chairperson Ronald Cardema argued the SC should nullify Comelec’s resolution approving the substitution of P3PWD’s nominees, due to alleged grave abuse of discretion.

The petitioners claimed P3PWD filed its new substitution documents well beyond the Comelec Substitution Deadline of 15 November 2021 for voluntary withdrawal and the extended Comelec Substitution Deadline of 9 May 2022 for rare cases of death or incapacity.

They also asserted that allowing the P3PWD substitution not only violates the Comelec Deadline Rule but also constitutes a breach of Republic Act 3019 or The Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and RA 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.