Friday, March 30, 2007 Jonas formalizes bid on pa’s death anniversary
MANDAUE City Councilor Jonas Cortes filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for mayor before noon yesterday, the 14th death anniversary of his father.
Cortes and his entire slate also submitted certificates of nomination from Partido Demokratikong Sosyalista ng Pilipinas (PDSP) that vice gubernatorial candidate Clavel Asas-Martinez signed as provincial chairman.
Cortes told Sun.Star Cebu that his group opted to join PDSP after third district Rep. Antonio Yapha finalized his gubernatorial bid under the party.
Early this month, Cortes’ slate took their oath before Provincial Board Member Gabriel Luis Quisumbing, who was appointed chairman of Lakas in the sixth district of Cebu.
Lakas and PDSP are part of Team Unity.
Cortes and his candidate for vice mayor, Councilor Glenn Bercede, didn’t take their oath with Lakas because they used their affiliation with the party when they ran for councilor in 2004.
They were still with the Ouanos then but last January the two bolted from the group and formed their own.
Loyalty
In an interview yesterday, Cortes shrugged off the confusion that his party affiliation may cause, saying his loyalty is with the people.
“Loyalty to the party is only second,” he told Sun.Star.
After a mass at the National Shrine of St. Joseph, the candidates walked towards the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office about 200 meters away.
Along the road, firecrackers were lighted as the crowd of about 500 people who joined the parade cheered.
A kite flown above the parade route bore Cortes’ name.
Many observers noted that Cortes’ crowd was bigger than that of another mayoral aspirant, Thadeo Jovito Ouano, who filed his COC last Wednesday.
Cortes wasn’t able to hold back tears when he and his group were being blessed by the priest. He said he didn’t expect his supporters to fill the church.
Patricia Dosdos read a poem titled “Kaugmaon” after the mass.
“Huna-hunaa kami sa pagkakaron, mga gagmay pa apan sa syudad sa Mandaue nautangan na tungod anang mga basurahan og lampposts nga pwerteng mahala og sa uban pang mga utang nga dili pa mi makamao mokwenta.”
“Apan aduna pa ba’y nagpaabot kanamong mahayag nga ugma kung karon eleksyon inyo nang ibaligya? (Think of us who are still young but already in debt to the City of Mandaue because of the garbage bins and lampposts that very expensive, and all other loans. Will there be a bright tomorrow for us if you sell it in today’s elections?)” the poem said.
Councilor Glenn Bercede, a member of the Seventh Day Adventist, did not attend the mass but he joined the parade.
Guidance
Cortes and Bercede’s candidates for councilor are former councilor Cesar Cabahug, Bakilid Barangay Councilor Jimmy Lumapas, lawyer Nenita Layese, businessman Expedito Masucol, former councilor Diosdado Suico and Barangay Captains Benjamin Basiga, Elstone Dabon, Mario Bihag, Cirilo Congson and Fiorello Latonio.
They wore yellow shirts where their names were printed in bold blue letters. They filed their COCs one by one with their families.
In an interview with reporters, Cortes said that before hearing mass, he went to the grave of his father, former mayor Demetrio Cortes Sr., and asked for guidance.
Jonas is the third of Demetrio’s sons to run for mayor. In 1998, then vice mayor Demetrio Cortes Jr. ran against Nerissa Soon-Ruiz and Thadeo Ouano but lost. In 2001, Ariston Cortes III ran against Ouano and lost.
“My mindset is that I am the underdog. They have all the resources but I consider this a challenge,” said Jonas, who is now on his second term as city councilor.
As Cortes emerged from the Comelec office after filing his COC, the crowd waiting for him at the parking lot below cheered and shouted his name.
“Daog na! Daog na! (It’s a sure win),” the crowd chanted. (AAG)
