Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes was suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman for one year. Jonas Cortes was found guilty of grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede is set to assume the post of acting mayor in the meantime until the duration of the suspension.
“In the instant case, the designation of Basaca as an officer in charge of CSWS was highly irregular and violated pertinent civil service rules and regulations and other applicable laws,” The anti-graft office stated.
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However, the Ombudsman stated that the acts of Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes didn’t involve any other form of corruption. It is for this reason that the order of a 1-year suspension is justified.
“Dili gyud ni issue sa corruption. This is something that the mayor believed in good faith for the good of his administration, for the good of Mandaue,” Mandaue City Administrator Jamaal James Calipayan said.
Calipayan also added: ““He was not surprised. But. of course, he was very sad of what happened kay para namo Mayor Jonas is trusted by the constituents of Mandaue. There is no corruption issue. Akoa lang ni i-point out nga kani nga suspension dili tungod nanghilabot siya og public funds.”
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Jonas Cortes’ suspension makes him the second elected official that be placed under suspension by the Ombudsman. Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama was also placed under a 6-month preventive suspension since May.
As of this article’s writing, multiple news outlets are still trying to reach out to Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes for comments.
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