The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Wednesday that it is investigating concerns over the use of the surname “Cardema” by Drixie Mae Suarez Cardema, the current representative of the Duterte Youth party-list.
Drixie is the sister of Ducille Suarez Cardema, the wife of former Duterte Youth representative and now party chairman Ronald Cardema.
The controversy began when blogger and columnist Tonyo Cruz questioned why Drixie uses the surname Cardema despite her legal surname allegedly being Suarez—Ducille’s maiden name.
Drixie listed “Cardema” as her surname in the Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA) submitted to Comelec last year.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said the commission’s law department is currently reviewing documents submitted by the Duterte Youth party-list. However, he emphasized that other legal matters surrounding the group—such as jurisdiction and accreditation issues that previously led to the suspension of its proclamation—must take precedence.
“Yesterday, I spoke with our law department director. They are studying the matter and gathering additional documents previously submitted by the party-list,” Garcia said.
“Although this is a secondary issue, the commission must first resolve the primary concerns regarding the group’s suspension, which involve jurisdiction and accreditation,” he added.
Garcia also stressed that any decision must consider the voters who supported Duterte Youth in the elections.
“I believe addressing those primary issues is the top priority, both out of respect for the millions who voted for them and for the petitioners who are expecting a final resolution in this case,” he said.