DESPITE his suspended status, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes is looking ahead to the future—a straight third term, and the construction of a new and larger public hospital with a dialysis center for indigent patients.
Cortes discussed his plans during SunStar Cebu’s online news and commentary program, “Beyond the Headlines,” on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024.
The local chief executive favors the public-private partnership (PPP), which he said can expedite the projects’ development.
Cortes said he will run in the 2025 mayoral election and seek a third and last term ending in 2028. He said his suspension does not disqualify him from running for public office.
To recall, the Ombudsman suspended Cortes for one year without pay due to grave misconduct related to an illegal appointment. The suspension took effect on Aug. 12, 2024.
Regarding his planned hospital and dialysis facility, Cortes voiced worries about potential issues that would arise from relying only on local government funding. This includes paperwork problems that can cause state auditors to flag the City Government.
This is the reason why he favors a PPP setup, which he believes offers a viable solution to fund the project while avoiding regulatory violations.
According to Cortes, there is already a specified location for the project, which is presently in the planning phases, on Plaridel St., just across the City Engineering Office.
“We are planning for a larger hospital, and we have already identified the location where it will be built,” Cortes said.
Mandaue City has at least seven hospitals, two of which are public hospitals that are run by the Department of Health. These are Mandaue City Hospital in Barangay Centro and Eversley Childs Sanitarium and General Hospital in Barangay Jagobiao.
Once completed, the hospital with dialysis center will improve healthcare access for residents, especially those in need of dialysis, who currently have to travel to private facilities in other areas.
Seeking partners
Cortes said he is still seeking private partners to ensure the project’s progress.
“We are still in the process of identifying potential partners for these initiatives, especially for the hospital and dialysis center. But we are confident that we can see these through,” he said in Cebuano.
Other initiatives
During the interview with Beyond the Headlines, Cortes outlined other initiatives he aims to complete if re-elected, including the construction of a one-stop-shop government center on the grounds of the abandoned Cebu International Convention Center to streamline public services and transforming the old city hall into a heritage park.
To strengthen local religion and culture, Cortes also wants the National Shrine of St. Joseph to be recognized as a basilica.
Relocating Mandaue City College to a new location—the former Bureau of Jail Management and Penology building in Barangay Looc—is one of Cortes’ other major projects, should he be reelected.
The goal of the relocation is to increase the school’s capacity and enhance instruction for students.
Cortes’ suspension stems from allegations that Cortes appointed Camilo Basaca Jr. as the officer-in-charge of the City Social Welfare Services despite Basaca’s lack of qualifications for the role.
This appointment was deemed by the anti-graft office unlawful as it violated the Local Government Code, which mandates certain qualifications for such positions.
The administrative case against Cortes was initiated by three complainants who argued that he failed to appoint a qualified candidate for the position, which had been vacant for nearly a year. The Ombudsman found that while the designation of Basaca was irregular, there were no indications of corruption involved in the decision, leading to Cortes’ suspension rather than dismissal from his post. / CAV