Transition team ready

CEBU, Philippines — Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes says a transition team is now ready in case he will already be served his one-year suspension imposed by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Cortes said Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede, who has been in politics long before him, is already ready to take his post. He said that members of the City Council have assured support for the transition team.

Cortes said that as agreed, the mayor’s office staff as well as department heads will remain in their respective positions under Bercede’s leadership.

“These are the same people who helped me in managing our city, so way mausab, mao ra gihapon,” the mayor said.

The Ombudsman order for Cortes’ suspension for one year without pay after he was found guilty of grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service came out last August 21.

As of this writing, however, it remains unimplemented.

Cortes said all the city’s projects, including the groundbreaking of the P3-billion government center, scheduled on August 29, would proceed.

“Padayon gihapon ang tanang ongoing projects, including the groundbreaking of our long-overdue new government center nga hagbay ra gyud gipangandoy sa mga Mandauehanon,” he said in an interview last Friday.

In the same interview, Cortes also wondered by the Office of the Ombudsman ruled against his favor when a similar scenario happened during the previous administration, wherein former mayor Luigi Quisumbing designated an officer-in-charge (OIC) for the City Social Welfare Services Office (CSWSO) who was not also a social welfare graduate.

“Ang kadto nga kaso gi-dismissed man unya kaning akoa, kay suspension man gyud and one year of suspension. I think is too harsh,” the mayor said.

To recall, an administrative complaint was filed by complainants Sereno Gabayan Monsanto, Rosimay Cali Caling, and Annabel Dela Cerna Andebor against Cortes and Camilo Basaca. They said the designation of Basaca as CSWSO OIC violated Section 483 of Republic Act No. 7160 (Local Government Code 1991).

They said Basaca did not possess the required eligibility and qualifications for the position, as he is not a duly licensed social worker and has not acquired experience in the practice of social work for at least five years.

The complainants said that Cortes violated certain provisions of the law when he designated Basaca as CSWSO OIC because the latter is not eligible and qualified for the said position.

Cortes and Basaca denied the allegations and maintaiedn that the designation of Basaca as CSWSO OIC is compliant with the existing rules and regulations governing designations.

The Office of the Ombudsman, though, gave more weight to the complaint and imposed on Cortes a one-year suspension without pay. The complaint against Basaca was dismissed.

Cortes said assured that he would be stronger as a result of suspension, adding that he had already weathered so many storms during his political journey.

Cortes said his lawyers are already working to exhaust all remedies. In the meantime, he said he would focus more on his community services, adding that the suspension would not stop him from serving the Mandauehanons.  — (FREEMAN)