The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has temporarily suspended the proclamation of Duterte Youth and Bagong Henerasyon party-list groups due to unresolved legal petitions filed against them.
During the proclamation ceremony at the Manila Hotel Tent City on Monday, Comelec Chairman George Garcia announced the delay, citing serious election law violations raised in pending cases before the commission.
“The National Board of Canvassers has resolved to suspend their proclamation until these petitions are resolved fairly and promptly,” Garcia stated.
Both groups were among the winning party-lists in the 2025 elections, with Duterte Youth securing three seats and Bagong Henerasyon one. The term for elected officials begins on June 30, giving Comelec time to settle the complaints.
Response from Duterte Youth and Bagong Henerasyon
Duterte Youth criticized the delay as a “deliberate derailment” of their democratic mandate, pointing to the unresolved 2019 petition questioning their registration. They argued that if their candidacy was invalid, the Comelec should not have allowed them to run in three elections.
“This is grave abuse of discretion. Let us take our seats and be part of the opposition, so Congress won’t be a rubber stamp,” their statement read.
Bagong Henerasyon called the suspension unjust and “a form of power tripping,” claiming they were not informed of any complaint nor given a chance to respond.
“How can 319,803 voters be silenced over an unseen, unnamed complaint?” the group said, demanding due process and citing Comelec rules that require complaints to be resolved with finality before a proclamation is halted.
Party-list Seats Breakdown
According to Chairman Garcia, the House of Representatives will seat 63 party-list representatives from 54 groups, with three groups gaining three seats each, and three others securing two seats, based on vote percentages and Supreme Court rulings.