Claim: Party-list group Kabataan was among those who filed a petition to nullify the registration of Duterte Youth in 2019.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The claim can be found in a May 19 press statement released on Duterte Youth’s Facebook page in response to the Commission on Elections (Comelec)’s decision to suspend the group’s proclamation as a winning party-list group.
The post states: “COMELEC mentioned that “due to the serious allegations” in a case filed by the leftist Kabataan Party-List in 2019, Duterte Youth Party-List’s proclamation today (2025) will be suspended.”
As of writing, the post already has around 11,000 reactions, 2,000 comments, and 3,300 shares.
The facts: The Comelec, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), suspended the proclamation of Duterte Youth and BH Bagong Henerasyon due to pending cases against them. Contrary to the claim, however, the Kabataan party-list group is not a petitioner in the pending cases against Duterte Youth.
According to NBOC Resolution 14-25, the two pending petitions against Duterte Youth are SPP No. 19-009 and SPP No. 25-008. (TIMELINE: The 2019 petition against Duterte Youth’s registration)
Named petitioners in SPP No. 19-009 are private youth leaders Reeya Beatrice Magtalas, Abigail Aleli Tan, Raainah Punzalan, and Aunell Ross Angcos.
In September 2019, the four petitioners asked the Comelec to declare the registration of Duterte Youth “ab initio” or “null from the beginning.” On March 25, the same four petitioners, represented by the election watchdog group Kabataan, Tayo ang Pag-asa, revived the petition by filing an Urgent Motion to Resolve.
In a Facebook post on May 19, Kabataan, Tayo ang Pag-asa also debunked Duterte Youth’s claim that Kabataan Partylist was among the 2019 petitioners. “Let it be made clear: the suspension is not based on a 2019 petition of Kabataan Party-list, as falsely claimed by Ronald Cardema [chairman of Duterte Youth]. There is no such thing,” the group said.
The other pending case, SPP No. 25-008 filed in 2025, also does not include Kabataan party-list group as a petitioner.
The two cases seek the cancellation of Duterte Youth’s registration over alleged misrepresentation. In a statement, Duterte Youth slammed the poll body’s decision as a grave injustice.
Previous fact-checks: Rappler has previously published a fact-check related to the suspension of Duterte Youth’s proclamation.
In June 2021, Rappler also debunked a post from Duterte Youth: a false claim that the entire population of Israel and all men from South Korea undergo military service, which Duterte Youth cited to defend its proposal for mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps. (FALSE: Entire Israeli population, all South Korean men undergo military service) – Percival Bueser/ Rappler.com
Percival Bueser is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.
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