FORMER Mandaue City mayor Jonas Cortes has refuted social media claims regarding his final disqualification from public office in a statement issued on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.
Cortes clarified that the document in question is a non-final ruling by a Commission on Elections (Comelec) division that is currently being appealed to the Comelec en banc. He described the circulation of redacted documents as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public while election protests remain pending.
In a Facebook post addressed to Mandauehanons, Cortes clarified the document being shared online is not a final ruling disqualifying him from holding public office.
He added that the issue has also become “moot and academic” as far as the May 2025 elections are concerned, since the polls have already been conducted.
Any remaining concerns related to that election, Cortes said, are now part of a pending election protest before the Comelec.
The former mayor expressed concern over what he described as deliberate attempts to mislead the public through the selective and redacted release of documents that, he said, lack proper legal explanation.
He questioned why such information continues to circulate despite assertions from others that the election outcome has already been decided.
Cortes said he chose to remain silent after the elections out of respect for due process and democratic institutions, but stressed that silence should not be interpreted as acceptance of false narratives.
Truth will prevail
“I remain calm, resolute and confident in the rule of law,” Cortes said, adding that he believes the truth will prevail through proper legal processes rather than misinformation.
Cortes’ statement comes as he continues to face administrative cases stemming from his tenure as mayor.
In August 2024, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered his one-year suspension without pay after finding him administratively liable for grave misconduct in connection with an alleged illegal appointment at Mandaue City Hall.
The Ombudsman ruled Cortes unlawfully designated Camilo Basaca Jr. as officer-in-charge of the City Social Welfare and Services office despite Basaca allegedly lacking the required eligibility and qualifications under Section 483 of Republic Act 7160, or the Local Government Code.
The Ombudsman order was signed by Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer Napoleon Regan Malimas.
Separately, the Office of the Ombudsman also dismissed Cortes from service in another case after finding him guilty of grave misconduct for allowing the continued operation of a cement batching plant without the required business and environmental permits.
The ruling stemmed from a complaint filed in October 2022 by residents Ines Corbo Necesario and Julita Narte, who accused Cortes of failing to act on violations committed by Suprea Phils. Development Corp., despite alleged risks to public health and the environment.
Suprea’s cement batching plant, located in Sitio San Jose 1, Barangay Labogon, was found to have operated from 2020 to 2022 without a business permit, sanitary permit and other environmental clearances required by law.
The Ombudsman said Cortes failed to issue a cease and desist order, allowing the plant to continue operating illegally. / ABC