Cortes willing to run solo in 6th district

CEBU, Philippines – Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes said he is prepared to run as an independent candidate if ever he will not be chosen as Liberal Party's bearer in the sixth district.

Cortes said even when he ran for mayor in 2007, he did not rely on the political party where he belonged as there was no assurance from them that he would be given the Certificate of Nomination (CONA).

"When I first ran as mayor pag 2007, di kaayo ko (reliant) sa partido kay last minute, di gyud na mahatag ang CONA nako," Cortes said.

Because of the incident, Cortes and Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede ran as independent candidates. The mayor said "they do not need the political party, but the political party needs them instead" to gain votes from the local level.

"Politics boils down to political machinery. Modesty aside, we have our own political machinery," Cortes said.

The mayor, who is expected to run for congressman in the sixth district next year, believes his and Bercede's machinery remains intact. Cortes' father and grandfather also served as politicians in Mandaue City.

He  said he has already prepared for the  "worst case scenario," adding that what happened to him before may happen to him again, especially now that he cannot seek for re-election as mayor because this is his last term.

The mayor noted that in 2007, the CONA was given to his opponent at the last minute. In 2010, when the mayor ran again, the party, to which he belonged and was headed by then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, did not follow the "equity of the incumbent" principle.

However, Mayor Cortes said if  LP will support him for the 2016 elections, he will welcome the decision.

"Ug suportahan sa partido, maayo," Cortes said.

Otherwise, Cortes and Bercede will still run as independent candidates because of their local party. Cortes said what is more important is the "grassroots" of the local political machinery.

Cortes, however, will still wait for the decision of LP before he announces his decision of running as independent or not.

The mayor also admitted that the party still needs to finalize its lineup, especially in the district level. He said "necessity calls for" the party to sit down together and settle the local slate as they have partymates who seek for the same political position.

Cortes also mentioned that sixth district Representative Luis Gabriel "Luigi" Quisumbing is still preoccupied with the budget hearing, that is why they still have yet to meet and settle matters.

Cortes said the LP will announce its final lineup before the filing of certificates of candidacy next week. That is after all the concerns in the local level have been ironed out.

Meanwhile, Cortes expressed his approval on Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo as the running mate of Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel "Mar" Roxas III.

According to Cortes, the LP's decision to have  Robredo as the bet for vice presidency shows  that the party is firm in upholding  "daang matuwid." This as Robredo has similar stand with her husband, late Department of Interior and Local Government secretary Jessie Robredo.

"She has a potential. She is a good VP candidate," Mayor Cortes said.

According to the mayor, Representative Robredo has a good track record, particularly in Naga City where her husband served as mayor. Cortes said the Robredo couple was able to institutionalize the Performance Governance System (PGS) in Naga City.

Cortes noted that good governance and accountability are one of the platforms of LP.

The mayor also said it was Secretary Robredo who encouraged him to apply PGS in Mandaue City when the latter came to Cebu years ago.

"It is the turning point and what encouraged me to join PGS," Cortes said.

He added that Representative Robredo's announcement to run for the vice presidency will bring more votes for the LP slate, particarly in the local level.

Aside from the mayor, Councilor Beethoven Andaya also believes that Rep. Robredo will "probably" gain more votes as she is under LP. Andaya said  Roxas, who has "a lot of followers in Cebu province," will bring votes for his running mate.