Mayor-elect Ouano focuses on governance amid election protest

Mandaue City Mayor-Elect Thadeo “Jonkie” Ouano . CDN Digital File Photo

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Breaking his silence on the election protest filed against him, Mandaue City Mayor-Elect Thadeo “Jonkie” Ouano affirmed his respect for due process following a summons from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

In a statement posted on his official Facebook page on June 4, Ouano said he would abide by the legal process and entrust the matter to his legal team. “We respect the process and will let our lawyers handle that in the proper venue,” he said.

Ouano declined to comment further on the specifics of the protest, choosing instead to emphasize his commitment to public service.

He assured Mandauehanons that his primary focus is on governance and ensuring a smooth transition into office.

“I choose to focus on our real work for the city, especially for a smooth transition,” he stated.

Ouano stressed the importance of continuity in city operations. He vowed to work closely with the outgoing administration to avoid disruptions in essential services.

“Our priority is to ensure unhampered services for Mandauehanons,” he said.

The election protest was filed by former mayor Jonas Cortes, challenging the results of the recent midterm elections.

Cortes alleges widespread electoral fraud and irregularities across several clustered precincts in Mandaue City.

According to his camp, there were discrepancies in some areas where the number of votes cast allegedly exceeded the number of registered or actual voters. The protest cites both “intrinsic fraud,” involving anomalies in the vote-counting process, and “extrinsic fraud,” referring to alleged misconduct during polling.

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