Jonas Cortes

Jonas Cabungcal Cortes (born July 20, 1966) is the current congressional representative of the sixth district of Cebu. and was former Mayor of Mandaue City in 2007-2016, who was Mandaue City Councilor.

Personal life

Cortes is the 13th child of the former mayor of Mandaue Demetrio Cortes Sr. and Celestina Alimpangog Cabungcal. He is of Filipino, Spanish and Chinese ancestry. He was born and raised in Centro, Mandaue. Cortes attended St. Joseph's Academy for Grade school in 1972-78 and in St Louis high school on 1978-82 both in Mandaue. He graduated from Visayas State University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Husbandry. He married Sarah Walker-Cortes, with whom he has two children, Dmitri and Mikyla. ^[1]

On 2009

The Office of the President has found Cortes guilty of dereliction of duty over his refusal to implement a 2008-approved ordinance from the Mandaue city council. The decision, dated July 27, 2009 was signed by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Malacañang found Cortes guilty of dereliction of duty and was issued a reprimand. However no penalties imposed against Cortes.

Concluding its investigation, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), through Secretary Ronaldo Puno, earlier recommended the suspension of Mayor Cortes for one year believing that Cortes was guilty of grave misconduct, oppression and misconduct in office, an offense that carries a penalty of a six-month suspension as well as oppression and abuse of authority worth another six months. ^{[2] [3]}

2007 election

Cortes filed his COC as an independent and ran against Jonkie Ouano, son of former Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano.^[4] Cortes was elected mayor.

2010 election

Cortes won a second term as mayor in 2010 when he received 59.54% of the votes, and also carried his party to win a majority of the seats on the city council.^[5]

Economic Boom

Cortes highlighted the P45.6-million increase in the income of the city government from the time he assumed office in July last year, saying he has worked to make the city business-friendly. ^[6] Bringing back clean governance in Mandaue City, said Cortes, was his best achievement in his first year in office.

He campaigned on a platform that included government reform and integrity. ^[7]

References