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Comelec junks Cortes appeal to reinstate COC

Published Dec 28, 2024 08:49 am

CEBU CITY – The reelection bid of dismissed Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes was dealt another major blow after the Commission on Elections junked his appeal to reverse a previous order cancelling his Certificate of Candidacy in next year's elections.

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The Comelec en banc affirmed the Second Division’s ruling that found Cortes guilty of “serious misrepresentation” after he answered “N/A” (not applicable) to a question about pending cases in his COC. 

Lawyer Ervin Estandarte, a resident of Mandaue, filed a petition that sought the cancellation of Cortes’ COC.

Estandarte alleged that when Cortes filed his COC, he concealed a dismissal order issued by the Ombudsman on Oct. 3. 

The dismissal order stemmed from charges that were filed against Cortes for allowing a batching plant to operate in Mandaue without necessary permits.

The Comelec ruled that Cortes’ omission constituted a deliberate violation of his oath and disqualified him from running for public office under Section 40(b) of the Local Government Code.

“Respondent signed his COC and subscribed and sworn to the veracity of his declarations therein...and will effectively mislead the electorate on his qualification as mayor of Mandaue City, Cebu," the Comelec said in its decision.

Cortes said the fight is not over yet and vowed to  elevate the matter to the Supreme Court.

“Sa akong mga loyal supporters, nasayud kita nga layu pa kaayo og abtan ang atong pakigbisog. Ang uwahing desisyon sa Comelec naghagit kanato sa pagpangita sa kaangayan ug katarungan (To my loyal supporters, we know that the fight is far from over. The latest decision by the Comelec only fueled me to seek fairness and justice),” Cortes said.

Related Tags

Mayor Jonas Cortes 2025 elections Cebu province Mandaue City
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