Dismissed Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes. | CDN Digital photo / Mary Rose Sagarino
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – The camp of former Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes is challenging the results of the recently concluded midterm elections, in which Thadeo “Jonkie” Ouano was proclaimed the winner as mayor.
In a complaint addressed to the City Board of Canvassers, Cortes’ team alleged electoral fraud involving electronic manipulation, vote padding, and statistical improbabilities in the data generated during canvassing.
The complaint questioned how several clustered precincts recorded a number of valid votes that exceeded not only the number of registered voters but also the number of those who actually voted.
The document identified 14 clustered precincts with alleged discrepancies, including:
- Barangay Subangdaku (Cluster Precinct ID: 22300216): 885 registered voters, 766 who actually voted, but 960 valid votes recorded, with a turnout percentage of 89.59%.
- Barangay Pagsabungan (Cluster Precinct ID: 223): 789 registered voters, 688 who actually voted, but 754 valid votes recorded, with a turnout percentage of 87.2%.
- Barangay Tabok (Cluster 1): 827 registered voters, 739 who voted, but 924 valid votes recorded, with a turnout of 89.36%.
- Barangay Tabok (Cluster 2): 962 registered voters, 871 who voted, but 1,159 valid votes recorded, with a turnout percentage of 90.54%.
The complaint was signed by Cortes’ legal counsel, Atty. Benjamin Cabrido Jr., and was officially received by Atty. Marinel Oro, a member of the City Board of Canvassers.
In response, Mayor-elect Ouano said he is ready to address the issues raised. He stated that it is normal for complaints to be filed during elections and that he respects the process.
“Amoa lang sad nang tubagon, pero maayo unta humana man ang eleksyon, usa ra man ni ka adlaw. Maghiusa nalang tang mga Mandauehanon para man sad nis kalamboan sa siyudad. Pero sa katong wala gihapon nidawat sa resulta, unya nalang ta mag-away balik kung hapit na ang 2028. Magtinabangay sa ta karon,” said Ouano.
(We will answer that, but hopefully, since the election is already over—it was just a one-day event—we Mandauehanons should unite for the progress of the city. But for those who still haven’t accepted the results, let’s just argue again when 2028 is near. For now, let’s help each other.)