Suspended Mandaue Mayor Jonas Cortes files COC, seeks reelection 

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes. | File photo

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Suspended Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes has filed his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) at the Commission on Elections (Comelec-Mandaue) on Friday, October 4.

Cortes filed his COC at exactly 8:08 a.m. He will run as mayor under the One Cebu party as confirmed by Lawyer Annafleur Gujilde, Comelec-Mandaue Election Officer.

However, Cortes did not sign the integrity pledge today. He will sign it together with his slate during their filing, according to Comelec.

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The relevance of filing a certificate of candidacy

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Cortes in his statement sent to the media, said that he filed his candidacy to stop the rumors being spread that he could no longer be allowed to file his COC

“The decision is not final and we are availing of our legal remedies. To my supporters, I will come back on October 8, as scheduled, with the entire slate of TEAM MANDAUE to be with them in the filing of the COCs,” said Cortes.

Cortes was found guilty of grave misconduct and is meted the penalty of dismissal by the Office by Office of the Ombudsman.

The complaint stemmed on the alleged act of Cortes for allowing the continous operation of SUPREA Phils. Development Corp., a batching plant of concrete mix cement located in Sitio San Jose 1, Circumferential Road, Barangay Labogon, Mandaue City, from 2020 to 2022. This despite the lack of the required business permit, sanitary permit and clearance. 

It’s operation allegedly posed health risk and disturbances to those whose who lived close to the plant and that Cortes allegedly refused to issue a cease-and-desist order against SUPREA Phils. and allowed the batching plant to continue the operations of its business.

Cortes on his Facebook page assured that he would not back down and would exhaust all regal remedies to appeal the decision.

Even before the dismissal, Cortes epxressed his intention to seek reelection in the 2025 midterm elections with Bercede as his running mate and allied incumbent city councilors.

READ MORE: If reelected, Cortes to pursue plan of building bigger city hospital

Comelec-Election Officer Gujilde said that at their level they just received the COCs that would be filed. 

She said that they would only check if the COC form was filled-up completely, and if the Certification of Nomination and Acceptance was attached.

“Other than that we don’t go beyond na sa form. Ministerial man gud amoang function, so we just receive the COCs nga isang-at,” said Gujilde.

(Other than that we don’t go beyond the form. Our function is only ministerial, so we just receive the COCs that are filed.)

After the end of the COC filing on October 8, all COCs will be forwarded to Comelec’s law department which will be deliberated if the aspirant is eligible or a ‘nuisance,’ a tag that is tantamount to being disqualified.

Other interested parties or registered voters could also file their petition challenging the eligibility of the aspirant, said Gujilde.