By Tonyo Cruz
In blatant violation of multiple provisions of the Omnibus Election Code, Ronald Cardema and his handlers in the AFP engaged in unlawful electioneering and illegal campaigning for Duterte Youth and against Kabataan Partylist.
The law prohibits public officials like them-NYC chair Cardema and military officers such as General Parlade and General Albayalde from campaigning for or against candidates in any election.
But what did Cardema and his ilk do
In several forums held in colleges and universities, then-NYC chair Cardema and his military handlers openly campaigned against Kabataan Partylist and other Makabayan partylist organizations.
On Election Day, General Albayalde ordered the dissemination of an official PNP publication defaming Kabataan Partylist, other Makabayan partylists and senatorial candidate Neri Colmenares.
Of all candidates in the 2019 elections, only Makabayan, Colmenares and Kabataan Partylist had the distinction of enduring such abuse of power and defamation from the likes of Cardema, General Parlade and General Albayalde.
The electoral performance of Duterte Youth is not only surprising. It is also doubtful. There are indications that it is a beneficiary of automated cheating by way of the the unexplained glitch on Election Night.
It is also possible that Cardema obtained help from his former principal Bongbong Marcos and new principal Sara Duterte, both principal sponsors in his wedding. The upstart trapo enlisted dozens of congressmen, senators, military and police officials as principal and secondary sponsors in preparation for his candidacy.
Why Cardema? Cardema is the Duterte regime’s “panggulo” to the youth movement. He has been a willing marionette of Bongbong Marcos and later Rodrigo Duterte. He thinks he has debts to pay to the military establishment after he left the PMA to criticize the AFP for the political killing of his activist uncle during the Arroyo regime.
Would Cardema ultimately become a congressmen representing Duterte Youth? My fearless forecast is that Duterte would order the Comelec to approve his petition for substitution as first nominee. Duterte and Cardema don’t care about the law. And the Comelec has not shown it will enforce the law, given that it allowed Duterte Youth to run in the first place.
Would Cardema enjoy the support of the youth? No. Because the youth is against corruption, fraud, historical revisionism, and everything else Cardema stands for. ###