Mayor Cortes not worried about rumors of preventive suspension

By: Mary Rose Sagarino – 2 mins ago

Mayor Jonas Cortes of Mandaue City

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines – Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes has responded to speculation about his alleged preventive suspension, saying he is not afraid and is convinced that his actions are in accordance with the law.

During the municipal forum “Storya Ta! A Movement for Good Governance and Transparency” on Friday, July 5, Cortes said there was no order for a precautionary suspension yet.

He added that he would not be afraid if such an order were issued as there were no corruption charges pending against him.

The speculation stems from cases brought against him by some individuals.

“This is a joke. I am not serious. Regardless of whether I have been suspended or not, my inability to do this is not a case of corruption. What I am doing is protecting the lives and interests of the city of Mandaue. Well, now is the time to reverse the suspension because it is just too much to ask,” Cortes said.

cases

Cortes admitted that charges were brought against him.

One of these cases was filed by private plaintiff Maria Priscilla Melendres, a resident of Barangay Lahug, Cebu City.

She filed charges against Cortes and two other city officials, namely Jamaal James Calipayan, city administrator, and Buddy Alain Ybañez, head of the City Risk Reduction Management Office, for the alleged cutting of mangrove trees in Barangay Paknaan in November 2022. Melendres claimed the area as her property while the city claimed it as government property.

“In fact, the respondents have not received any response officially, what we know from the media and social media, we do not have an official copy of the complaint, but we expect that it will most likely receive a response. Office of the President or Office of the Ombudsman. The most likely is that the Office of the President will be the one where the administrative aspect will be filed while the Office of the Ombudsman will handle the criminal aspect. “We still remain steadfast and stand by our belief that the people who entrusted us are Mandaue. It is not a corruption issue,” Calipayan said.

The cases brought concerned alleged violations of Republic Act (RA) 7161, a law prohibiting the logging of mangroves and forest products, and RA 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, serious misconduct and dishonorable conduct of public officials.

Relief channel

Mayor Cortes said that a relief canal was constructed in Barangay Paknaan to clear the mouth of the Butuanon River so that floodwaters could flow freely towards Cansaga Bay and Mactan Channel.

Cortes said this was one of the agreements reached during a roundtable discussion hosted by Mandaue and attended by various departments, stakeholders and national agencies on the city’s flooding problem.

The roundtable discussion was conducted following severe floods in Mandaue City in September 2022.

The flood affected 11 of Mandaue’s 27 barangays, prompting the city to declare a state of calamity.

READ: Floods lead to evacuation of some people in Mandaue

The Butuanon River outlet overflowed its banks because it was heavily silted following heavy downpours from the upstream area in Cebu City, including debris from Super Typhoon Odette in December 2021, said City Administrator Atty. Jamaal James Calipayan.

Buddy Alain Ybañez, head of the city’s disaster risk reduction office, said a relief canal is needed to divert water from the main canal during floods, thus reducing the risk of flooding.

City attorney John Eddu Ybañez said the spillway area was chosen because water pressure there is very high.

“To identify the area, you have to consider it again. If you have a fish pond in a sauna, you first have to open the channel with the pipe in the fish pond to then pump it into the tub of the fish pond. “Since there are few mangroves in the area, we do not have to detect the damage to the mangroves until the mangrove conservation is at risk,” said Ibañez.

More than 200 households live in the area, and about 180 have already been relocated. The auxiliary canal is not yet completed.

Cortes stressed that his action was in accordance with the law and that the project was implemented to ensure the safety of residents from flooding along the Butuanon River.

“The appointment is in line with his function and responsibility as mayor of Mandaue. I have decided to live a safe life and I do not care whether I do it in my life or not. “This is a challenge for us and I will not shy away from it,” Cortes said.

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