Kabataan Party-list Representative Raoul Manuel has called out the Duterte Youth Party-list for its recent threat to expose supposed corruption in government, dismissing the move as opportunistic and long overdue.
“Self-serving. Kung may alam pala sila tungkol sa korapsyon, bakit di nila isiniwalat dati pa?” Manuel wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, May 20, as he questioned the timing and motive behind the claim.
His remarks came after Duterte Youth Party-list Chairman Ronald Gian Carlo Cardema issued a heated warning on Monday, May 19, aimed at the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). Cardema alleged that if his group continues to be denied its congressional seat, they would reveal irregularities involving both Congress and COMELEC officials.
“Sinasabi ko sa inyo COMELEC at sa nagkokontrol sa COMELEC… ikekwento namin lahat sa taumbayan ang mga kalokohan sa gobyernong ito,” Cardema declared. He claimed he was aware of how public funds and accreditations are being manipulated for profit through various government dealings.
Despite his accusations, Cardema maintained that Duterte Youth’s primary goal is to serve as a dissenting voice in Congress while backing the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) against perceived state threats.
The tension arose after COMELEC announced on May 19 that it had officially proclaimed 52 out of 54 winning party-list groups in the 2025 midterm polls. Duterte Youth’s proclamation was withheld due to pending disqualification petitions linked to alleged serious violations of election laws.
