The late Mandaue City Councilor Demetrio “Tatay Jun” Cortes Jr., who was described as one of the best foundations of the Cortes family, will be buried today (Saturday) at 4 p.m. in the family’s mausoleum at the Mandaue Municipal Cemetery.
“The Cortes family lost one of its best foundations. With sadness, we say farewell to Tatay Jun, knowing that he will forever be a constant guide for our family and especially for me in public service,” said Rep. Jonas Cortes (Cebu 6th district), brother of the late councilor, as he announced the schedule of his brother’s burial.
A Requiem Mass will be held today at 3 p.m. at the National Shrine of Saint Joseph or an hour before the burial of the late councilor.
On Friday, the necrological service, which was sponsored by the Mandaue City government was held at the Cortes’ ancestral house in Barangay Centro instead of the Mandaue City Hall’s session hall after the family decided to just hold the service at the house.
The late councilor’s wake was held at their ancestral house beside the Dr. Ignacio M. Cortes Hospital at SB Cabahug St. in Barangay Centro.
Officials of the Cebu provincial government led by Gov. Hilario Davide III, city and municipal officials close to the Cortes family had visited the wake and paid their respects to the late councilor.
Cortes, 66, died at a private hospital in Mandaue last December 28, 2017 at 4:30 p.m. due to Chronic Kidney disease.
According to Representative Cortes, his brother has been undergoing dialysis treatment for about a year and had been in and out of hospital in the past year.
Despite this, Representative Cortes said that his brother was still able to attend City Council sessions while even on a wheelchair.
The late councilor also served as Mandaue City’s vice mayor under the late Mandaue Mayor Alfredo Ouano in the 1980s before that he served barangay caption of Centro.