THE PHILIPPINE STAR
THURSDAY I AUGUST 15, 2019.
Cardema appeals disqualification
as Duterte Youth nominee
Ronald Cardema yesterday
asked the Commission of
Elections (Comelec) to recon-
sider his disqualification as a
nominee of the Duterte Youth
party-list group.
In an LL-page motion filed
with the ComeleCs First Divi-
sion, Cardema said the poll
body has no jurisdiction over
his case.
Cardema said the case
should be handled bv
the House Electoral Tribu-
nal since the party-list lroup
won congressional seats inthe
midterm elections.
He said the Comelec erred
in cancelling his nomination
because of his age as the group
was "registered and approved
as a sectoral party represent-
ing the youth and young pro-
fessionals."
'To limi? the qualification
of the group's nbminees to
30 years old is erroneous,"
he said. q\a*
Cardema is 34 years old.
He denied that he com-
mitted material rnisrepre-
sentation in his Certificale of
Nomination and Acceptance
(CONA), saying he is qdalified
as a nominee of Dutefie Youth
party-list
* P4qrcr
-/,o t,
On Aug. 5, the Comelec
cancelled Cardema's CONA
after finding that he is over-
aged to represent the youth
8rouP.
He serves as president, sec-
retary general and chairtnanof
Duterte Youth group:
Cardema has submitted a
new set of nominees for the par-
ty-list grtup,naming himself as
the first nominee followed by
his wife Ducitle Marie Suarez."
Comelec Commissioner Ro-
wena Guanzon said tlre poll
body may rule on the validity
of tKr r,"* fist of nominees neit
week - Sheila Crisoetono