Mandaue mayor files motion on suspension 

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes has filed a motion for reconsideration (MR) before the Office of the Ombudsman on his one-year suspension.

 Mandaue City Administrator lawyer Jamaal James Calipayan told DAILY TRIBUNE that the MR was filed at the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City.

He said that Cortes was given 10 days to file his MR as his suspension order was served on 21 August.

The 10-day period lapsed yesterday as 1 September falls on a Sunday.

Cortes, in his MR, sought to dismiss the administrative case against him or at least a reduction of the penalty imposed on him.

“Our prayer is if ever there is a finding that there is an error in judgement, at least the suspension will be lessened instead of one year,” Calipayan stressed.

The Ombudsman suspended Mayor Cortes for one year without pay for grave misconduct.

Cortes was penalized for appointing Camilo Basaca Jr. as officer-in-charge of the City Social Welfare Services Office (CSWSO) in 2022, despite Basaca lacking qualifications.

However, Cortes said that Basaca’s appointment was in good faith and was meant to improve the services at CSWSO.

The Ombudsman decision was penned and signed by Graft Investigation and Prosecution officer Napoleon Regan Malimas as he cited that the penalty for grave misconduct was dismissal from service even on the first offense.

However, Malimas said that since there was “neither allegation nor was it found that the irregular designation of Basaca was attended with elements of corruption,” the Ombudsman is only suspending Cortes for once year.

Cortes in an earlier interview clarified that there is no corruption issue in the case especially on using public funds.