The cancellation of the registration of the Duterte Youth party-list is now final and executory, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Tuesday.
This comes after Duterte Youth failed to secure a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Supreme Court to stop the poll body from enforcing its ruling.
‘The clerk of the Commission has just issued the certificate of finality and entry of judgment in this case. Therefore, expect that by tomorrow the Comelec en banc will discuss and determine who will benefit from the three seats vacated by the party-list,’ Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia said.
Garcia noted that since the Supreme Court did not issue a TRO within 30 days, the Comelec en banc’s August 29 ruling canceling Duterte Youth’s registration has now attained finality.
‘This means the decision is final as far as the Comelec is concerned. The decision of the Comelec en banc can now be implemented,’ he added.
The Comelec earlier barred Duterte Youth from taking its seats in the 20th Congress after the en banc voted 5-1-1 to affirm the Second Division’s ruling in SPP No. 19-009 nullifying its registration.
The poll body held that the group failed to comply with mandatory requirements under the Party-List System Act, including publication and the conduct of public hearings.
To recall, the Duterte Youth garnered 2.33 million votes in the May 2025 midterm polls, the second-highest tally among party-list groups, which would have entitled it to three congressional seats had its registration not been canceled.