Complainants blast Cortes’ ‘politically motivated’ claim

CEBU, Philippines —  The complainants in the graft and corruption case against dismissed Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes have strongly condemned his statement that the case was “politically motivated.”

Ines Corbo Necesario, along with her fellow complainants from Barangay Labogon, rejected the assertion, firmly standing by the legitimacy of the charges and their commitment to seeking justice.

“Among gisaway ang sayop ug dili tinuod nga pamahayag sa nataktak nga Mayor nga si Mr. Jonas Cortes sa press conference nga iyang gipatawag niadtong Lunes, Pebrero 3, 2025,” said Necesario in a press conference yesterday afternoon, February 7, 2025.

Last Monday, Cortes, along with his legal counsel, announced that the Office of the Ombudsman had denied his motion for reconsideration, reaffirming its decision that led to his dismissal as mayor of Mandaue City. The ruling was based on his alleged failure to halt the illegal operations of a cement batching plant in Barangay Labogon from 2020 to 2022.

In a press conference on Monday, February 3, Cortes maintained his innocence, asserting that the case against him was politically-motivated.

The Ombudsman found probable cause to charge Cortes with violating Section 3(a) of Republic Act (RA) 3019, also known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The charges stemmed from allegations that Cortes allowed Suprea Philippines Development Corp. to continue operations despite lacking the necessary business, sanitary, and environmental permits.

In response to Cortes’ claims, Ines Corbo Necesario stated that the former mayor made a “big lie,” asserting that he was the one claiming harassment and pressure in the case.

She said that the affected residents are the ones who are truly deserving of sympathy.

“Kami ang tinuod nga gi-harass, nag-antos sa tumang kaabog ug kasaba. Wala miy tarong kinatulgan ug gi-agwanta ang kaabog hangtod karon,” said Necesario.

She claimed that Cortes was the one who failed to fulfill his duties and neglected his responsibilities as mayor during that time.

The complainant shared that in September 2019, they held a technical conference with Cortes and other department heads in the city to present the situation in their area caused by the operations of the batching plant.

Necesario said that they presented their concerns to Cortes about the plant, highlighting how its operations were affecting their daily lives due to the dust, noise, and health risks.

She said that during that time, Cortes told them that he would help them settle the issue with the company, which led them to believe that their problem would eventually be addressed.

“Pwerte namong lipaya kay ni ana si mayor nga tabangan mi. Gidala, gipasok namo sa among dughan ang iyang mga saad kay mutabang siya namo,” said Necesario.

However, just a few months later, the operations of the batching plant continued without interruption.

Due to the lack of action from the city government, Necesario said this prompted them to file the case on October 17, 2022. This case has led to the dismissal of Cortes.

“Mao ng ako ni suggest ko, sa akong mga kaubang petitioner nga mu-file na ta basin naman lang ang balaod sa Pilipinas makakita sa sayup sa Mandaue City,” said Necesario.

Necesario alleged that Cortes prioritized the interests of the batching plant owner over those of the residents and voters.

She also shared that Cortes ignored the support resolution from the barangay, which was pushed by his office, urging him to stop the operation of the batching plant.

“Gikan sa among pagsugod, walay politika, walay mi giduol nga mga politiko, kaugalingon ni namong fight. Kaugalingon namong gasto, tampo-tampo mi,” said Necesario.

Necesario said that it was Cortes’ neglect in addressing the problem and the situation of the residents that forced them to file a case with the Office of the Ombudsman, with the aim of seeking justice.

She further mentioned that they did not believe or expect that they would still receive justice due to the length of time the case had been ongoing.

“Apan gidungog gyud ang among pagpangaliya kay nataktak siya niadtong Oktubre 3, 2024 ug apil sa iyang silot ang pagdili niini pagdagan sa bisan unsang posisyon sa gobyerno,” said Necesario.

She added that the consequences Cortes is facing now are just in light of the violations he committed against the residents of Labogon and that this should serve as a lesson for him to never abuse his power, as everything has its limits.

“Dili na niya magamit ang iyang alibi ug pagpamakak tungod kay tinuyo kini niyang gisudlan tungod sa iyang personal nga interes ug katuyo-an,” she added.

She added that Cortes should answer to the law and serve it accordingly, rather than blaming others.

“Amo gyud karon nga natagamtam nga duna gyud diay balaod ang Pilipinas nga mutan-aw namong mga kabos,” she added.

Cortes’ camp

When asked about their comment on the complainants’ statement, Cortes and his said they would comment only once they have received a copy.

As reported, with the recent denial of their motion for reconsideration on the criminal case filed against him before the Ombudsman, they plan to elevate the matter to the Supreme Court to settle once and for all whether or not the Ombudsman committed grave abuse of discretion.

Cortes previously said that after the issuance of the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) by the Supreme Court, which prevented the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from enforcing its rulings to disqualify or reject his certificate of candidacy, the battleground shifted back to the Ombudsman.

However, he said that he will still pursue all legal remedies, most likely taking the case to the Supreme

Court, as his team believes that the Supreme Court remains an institution that is impartial and free from political influence.

“Mao nang wala tay laing madaganan kung dili adto ta dagan sa mga tao nga dunay hustisya for the longest time nga kining atong pakigbisog karon we are seeking for justice, justice that is so elusive,” said Cortes.

Despite their legal setback, his legal team expressed confidence that eventually, Cortes will be cleared of the charges in this case. (CEBU NEWS)