The Commission on Elections (Comelec) issued an assurance to resolve the Duterte Youth and Bagong Henerasyon (BH) party-list controversies before the 20th Congress convenes on June 30, 2025. This follows the poll body’s decision to suspend the proclamation of both party lists due to ongoing disqualification petitions against them.
“Syempre ayaw din naman nila (party-lists) na hanggang ngayon may kwestiyon doon sa kanilang pagkaka-halal. Again, ang commitment natin ay bago mag June 30 ay ‘yan ay mareresolba natin,” Comelec chief George Erwin Garcia said.
Garcia also stated that if no resolution is reached on the disqualification petitions by June 30, the seats intended for the Duterte Youth and Bagong Henerasyon party-list will stay vacant.
“Mababakante ‘yung apat na seats sa ating House of Representatives. Sa halip na 63, 59 na lang makakaupo na miyembro ng House of Representatives kung darating man ‘yung June 30 at wala pa tayong napo-proklama doon sa dalawa,” he said.
Before the suspension of their proclamation, the Duterte Youth party-list was poised to secure three seats in the House of Representatives, while Bagong Henerasyon was set to have one seat.
When asked why Comelec has yet to resolve the issue despite the petition being filed as early as 2019, Garcia said he was unaware of the case when he assumed the Comelec chairmanship in 2022.
“Yung 2019, wala pa naman [ako] dyan [sa Comelec]. Hindi natin alam na mayroon palang gano’n. Bagamat ako ay nakapaglingkod bilang isang abogado doon sa mismong natura na party-list, hindi na kasi ako nagkaroon ng update,” he said.
“Maganda rin na napaalala ngayon ‘yung kaso na ‘yan at siguro naman naniniwala ako kahit ‘yung party-lists na ‘yan mas gugustuhin nila na magkaroon na ng final na resolusyon ‘yung issue,” he added.