Ben Madilynn
THE one-year suspension of Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes is politically motivated, said Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede.
In an interview with the reporters Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, Bercede, who has taken over as acting mayor upon the order of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), revealed that opposition trolls had been hinting at Mayor Cortes’ suspension as early as June, despite not having any direct access to the mayor’s office.
Bercede questioned why the opposition has remained silent on the issue if it truly had no intention of unseating Cortes.
“If they had no plans to oust the mayor, they should have at least expressed some sympathy toward him,” Bercede said in Cebuano, hinting at a deeper political maneuvering behind the scenes.
However, Bercede did not specifically name which member of the opposition was allegedly responsible.
SunStar Cebu reached out to Mandaue City Lone District Rep. Emmarie Lolypop Quano-Dizon for a statement regarding Cortes’ suspension, but she was unavailable for comment.
The order from the DILG mandated Bercede’s assumption of the mayoral post, which he formally accepted on the evening of Saturday, Aug. 24.
According to Bercede, he was instructed by the DILG 7 director to assume office immediately. However, he initially hesitated, stating, “Unless I can speak with Mayor Cortes directly, I won’t act on just a phone call.” Bercede later acknowledged the necessity of complying with the Ombudsman’s decision.
“We have to abide by the Ombudsman’s decision, even if it was sudden. But the mayor is fine with it, he accepts the situation,” he said.
Bercede, who has served as acting mayor during Cortes’ out-of-town trips, emphasized that this time is different as it involves a much longer period — potentially up to a year.
Assurance
Despite the circumstances, Bercede assured that the projects initiated by Mayor Cortes would continue as planned.
“I will not make changes to the department heads; everything will remain as it is,” he said.
However, he also expressed his intent to implement additional projects, particularly at the barangay level, that were not completed during Cortes’ tenure.
DILG 7 Director Leocadio Trovela issued a memorandum to Bercede on Aug. 24, underscoring the automatic succession rule under Section 46 (a) of the Local Government Code.
The document highlighted that while the Ombudsman’s decision did not explicitly direct the DILG secretary to enforce the suspension, Bercede was nonetheless urged to verify the implementation status and ensure the continuity of public service by assuming the role of acting mayor.
The suspension stems from a decision by the Office of the Ombudsman, which found Mayor Cortes guilty of grave misconduct for appointing Camilo Basaca Jr. as officer-in-charge of the City Social Welfare Services Office (CSWSO) in 2022, an action deemed unlawful.
The decision signed by Graft Investigator Napoleon Regan Malimas on Aug. 12 said that while the penalty for grave misconduct is dismissal from service even on the first offense, the Ombudsman noted that there was neither allegation nor was it found that the irregular designation of Basaca was attended with elements of corruption.
Cortes received the copy of the suspension order on Wednesday, Aug. 21.
Basaca served the CSWSO for nearly two years before Mitzi Marie Abadia replaced him as the department head on July 3.
Despite the ongoing political developments, Acting Mayor Bercede continued his duties, leading the National Heroes Day activities on Monday, alongside Acting Vice Mayor Nerissa Soon-Ruiz. / CAV, DPC
