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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Luzon devider CA denies Cortes TRO vs one-year suspension

CA denies Cortes TRO vs one-year suspension

Published Mar 6, 2025 10:45 am

CEBU CITY – The Court of Appeals (CA) has denied the Temporary Restraining Order that dismissed Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes filed to contest his one-year suspension.

JONAS CORTES.jpg

CORTES (FB)

The CA 12th Division said there was no basis to issue a TRO against the order of the Office of the Ombudsman suspending Cortes for one year.

The Feb. 28 resolution penned by Associate Justice Emilio Rodolfo Legaspi III said Cortes failed to establish a legal right warranting an injunction. 

Cortes was suspended for appointing Camilo Basaca as officer-in-charge of the Mandaue City Social Welfare Services Office in July 2022.

Complainants Sereno Gabayan Monsanto, Rosimay Cali Caling, and Annabel dela Cerna Andebor alleged that the appointment violated Local Government Code and civil service rules as  Basaca did not possess enough  qualifications to hold the position. 

In its ruling, the Ombudsman said there was substantial evidence proving Basaca did not meet the educational and experience requirements for the position. 

The anti-graft court ruled that Basaca’s degree in office administration was unrelated to social work and that he lacked the required five years of experience in the field.

The appointment also violated rules on career service positions as Basaca was still an executive assistant under a coterminous appointment when he was designated, the Ombudsman said.

Because of the appointment, the anti-graft court said Cortes committed grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service. 

The penalty for grave misconduct is dismissal but the Ombudsman imposed a one-year suspension, noting that the appointment was not linked to corruption.

The CA upheld the Ombudsman’s authority, emphasizing that its decisions in administrative cases are immediately executory, even pending appeal. 

The court ruled that public office is not a property right and that issuing an injunction would interfere with the Ombudsman’s constitutional powers.

“There is no basis for the issuance of a TRO or writ of preliminary injunction in favor of the petitioner,” the CA stated.

After he was suspended for one year, Cortes was eventually dismissed from service. The dismissal stemmed from another case that was filed against Cortes for allowing a cement batching plant in Mandaue to operate without the necessary business and environmental permits.

Related Tags

Court of Appeals Mayor Jonas Cortes Cebu province Mandaue City temporary restraining order
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