Cortes says fight continues after COC cancellation

Local

FORMER Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes vowed to continue his legal battle after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) En Banc denied his motion for reconsideration and canceled his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) for the May 2025 elections.

In a statement on Friday, Jan. 30, Cortes maintained that he did not misrepresent anything in his COC.

“Our opponents are trying to hold on to power not by winning the votes, but by using technicalities, dismissals, and disqualifications,” he wrote on Facebook.

He added that the ruling came just a day after the Comelec dismissed his election protest against Mandaue Mayor Thadeo “Jonkie” Ouano.

The Comelec En Banc upheld the earlier First Division decision, which found material misrepresentation in Cortes’ candidacy.

Petitioners argued that he became ineligible to run after the Office of the Ombudsman found him guilty of grave misconduct and imposed dismissal from service with the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

Cortes countered that the cases were still under appeal when he filed his candidacy, and that one had already been reversed by the Court of Appeals.

Cortes said the issue resurfaced despite Supreme Court restraining orders and alleged that more than 20,000 questionable ballots could affect a 7,101-vote margin.

“It is clear they are afraid of a full recount,” he said.

He stressed that non-final cases cannot cancel a candidacy or erase the people’s votes and vowed to bring the matter to the Supreme Court for a third time.

"This is no longer just about me. It is about whether technicalities can silence the will of the voters,” he said, emphasizing that he will pursue the fight calmly, lawfully, and for the people of Mandaue.

Comelec maintained that Cortes committed deliberate and material misrepresentation when he declared himself eligible despite the Ombudsman’s ruling.

The legal dispute traces back to 2023, when residents alleged Cortes appointed an officer-in-charge at the City Social Welfare Services Office without the required license or experience.

The Ombudsman ruled the appointment “highly irregular” and a violation of civil service rules.

The Court of Appeals upheld the penalty in December 2025, noting that Cortes’ one-year suspension had been served and rejecting his argument that only the Civil Service Commission could rule on the appointment.

Cortes’ suspension stemmed from a complaint that he designated Camilo Basaca Jr. as officer-in-charge despite lacking a social work license and the required five years of experience in social work.

Cortes defended the appointment, saying Basaca had relevant community experience and that filling the post was urgently needed for public service.

The Ombudsman disagreed, describing the designation as a violation of civil service rules, and the Court of Appeals upheld that decision.(MyTVCebu)