The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) strongly calls on the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to disqualify Duterte Youth from the House of Representatives due to its blatant misrepresentation of the youth sector and abysmal legislative record. The presence of Duterte Youth in Congress is a betrayal of the true intent of the party-list system: to give voice to marginalized sectors, not political opportunists. It has become one of the many fake partylists in the so-calles House of the People.

Duterte Youth has repeatedly failed to prove that it genuinely represents the Filipino youth. In 2019, the COMELEC disqualified then-nominee Ronald Cardema after it was found that he was over the age limit for youth sector representation, as required by law.

“Paano mo masasabi na kinakatawan mo ang kabataan kung hindi ka na kabilang sa kanilang hanay?” Since then, questions have persisted about the qualifications and legitimacy of their nominees, who have not meaningfully engaged in youth advocacy or organizing.

Duterte Youth’s pathetic record in Congress is indefensible. During the entire 18th Congress, the party-list authored only one law—the General Appropriations Act of 2022, a national budget bill that all House members are expected to work on. It failed to file or champion laws that address urgent youth concerns such as education, unemployment, mental health, or democratic rights.

“Kailangan ng kabataan ng boses sa Kongreso, hindi representasyon na puro red-tagging lang ang alam,” according to KMP SecGen Ronnie Manalo who said Duterte Youth is a threat to democracy, not a defender of the youth.

Instead of protecting youth rights, Duterte Youth has been more active in harassing legitimate youth and people’s organizations. Its proposals to revive the Anti-Subversion Law and its continued red-tagging and misinformation of progressive groups reveal its true agenda: to silence dissent and support authoritarianism.

“Imbes na solusyonan ang problema ng kabataan, mas inuna pa nila ang pag-atake sa mga grupong tunay na naglilingkod sa bayan. Sayang ang buwis ng taumbayan sa Duterte Youth. Their name itself is an abomination.”

KMP urges COMELEC to act decisively in disqualifying Duterte Youth. This group’s presence in Congress is a distortion of the law and a betrayal of the youth sector they falsely claim to represent.

“Ang Duterte Youth ay hindi kinatawan ng kabataan—kinatawan sila ng interes ng mga Duterte at ng tiraniya. Panahon na para tanggalin sila sa Kongreso.”