Former Mayor Jonas Cortes Files Urgent Motion to Post Bail
CEBU CITY – Former Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes has urgently filed a motion to post bail in response to the graft charges against him. Cortes invoked judicial expediency and practicality in submitting the motion to the Mandaue Regional Trial Court Branch 89. He requested the court to grant his motion to post bail as a matter of right.
“In sum, the accused Cortes is entitled to bail as a matter of right and the foregoing rules prescribed the manner by which this right may be exercised. Specifically, the accused Cortes may post his bail before a competent court who has custody of his person regardless of where the information will be filed,” Cortes stated in the motion.
Background of the Graft Charges
The Office of the Ombudsman indicted Cortes for violating Republic Act No. 3019, known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The charges originated from complaints filed by Mandaue residents Corbo Necesario and Julia O. Narte. They accused Cortes of graft for allowing a cement batching plant to operate in Barangay Labogon without the necessary permits.
The complainants claimed the plant’s operation posed health risks and disrupted the community’s daily life. They also asserted that despite the lack of environmental permits, Cortes refused to issue a cease-and-desist order against the facility.
Ombudsman’s Actions and Election Outcome
As a result of the investigation, the Ombudsman dismissed Cortes from public service for grave misconduct and imposed a perpetual disqualification from holding public office. Despite this ruling, Cortes ran for mayor in the recent elections but was defeated by incumbent provincial board member Jonkie Ouano.
Local leaders noted that Cortes’s motion to post bail seeks to address his current legal predicament while awaiting further proceedings. The court’s decision on this motion will be closely watched by both supporters and critics.
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