Mayor Jonas Cortes seeks reconsideration of one year suspension

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes. | File photo

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Suspended Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes has filed before the Office of the Ombudsman a motion to seek reconsideration of his suspension for one year.

According to Atty. Jamaal James Calipayan, Mandaue City’s Administrator, the MR was filed on Thursday, August 29, at the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City.

Calipayan said that Cortes was given 10 days to file his MR since his suspension order was served on August 21.  The 10-day period would lapse on Sept. 2, instead of Sept. 1, since this falls on a Sunday.

READ: Why is Mayor Jonas Cortes suspended?

In his MR, Cortes sought for the dismissal of the administrative case against him or at least a reduction of the penalty imposed on him.

“If ever there is a finding gyud no nga there is an error in judgement, at least ma-lessen siya [instead of one year] mao na atoang prayer,” said Calipayan.

READ: Mayor Jonas Cortes of Mandaue City suspended for 1 year

Grave misconduct

The Ombudsman suspended Cortes for one year without pay for grave misconduct.  He was sanctioned for appointing Camilo Basaca Jr. as officer-in-charge of the City Social Welfare Services Office (CSWSO) in 2022 despite Basaca’s lack in qualifications, which is deemed to be unlawful.

Basaca was designated as the CSWS OIC on July 2022 and he served for almost two years before he was replaced by Atty. Mitzi Abadia in July this year. He now occupies the position of CSWS assistant head.

READ: Mayor Jonas Cortes to appeal his suspension for 1 year

The administrative complaint filed against Basaca had already been dismissed by the Ombudsman for insufficient evidence.

Earlier, Cortes said that Basaca’s appointment was made in good faith and was meant to improve the services at CSWS.

In the decision that was signed by graft investigation and prosecution officer Napoleon Regan Malimas, he said that the penalty for grave misconduct was dismissal from service even on the first offense.

However, since there was “neither allegation nor was it found that the irregular designation of Basaca was attended with elements of corruption,” the Ombudsman is only suspending Cortes for one year.