Manatad: Recycled, politically motivated

CASE VS CORTES ET AL

TWO Mandaue City residents are set to file plunder charges this week against former mayor and incumbent 6th District Representative Jonas Cortes and 12 others for the alleged undervalued sale of a 3.5-hectare reclaimed land in 2015 when Cortes was still city mayor.

Bernard Cabatingana and Analin Maquilan are set to file a taxpayer’s complaint against the respondents before the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas.

Cebu Daily News tried to get comments from Cortes but calls and text messages to his cellular phone remain unanswered as of press time.

However, Mandaue City ABC President Ernie Manatad who was also included in the complaint, called the charge as ‘recycled garbage’ and politically motivated as he blamed the camp of incumbent Mayor Luigi Quisumbing for orchestrating the move.

“Klaro kaayong pattern sa political propaganda,” said Manatad. (The political propaganda pattern is very clear)

He said, they are confident the case will not prosper and that it’s only their opponents who made it controversial to bring them down.

He added that their lawyer Atty. Joel Seno can better explain the whole issue. Seno however, was not available as of press time.

According to the complainants, Cortes and the former city council sold the property for P1,791,050 or a measly P50 per square meter when the land’s current market value is P12,000 per square meter or a total value of P429.8 million.

The respondents will face plunder and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices law, as well as administrative charges of grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Also set to be charged along with Cortes and Manatad are former Vice Mayor Glenn Bercebe and former councilors Emmarie Dizon, Jose Jefferson Ceniza, Beethoven Andaya, Nenita Layese, Jimmy Lumapas, Demetrio Cortes Jr., Elstone Dabon, Benjamin Basiga, Diosdado Suico, Editha Cabahug and Manatad.