Dismissed Mandaue Mayor Jonas Cortes files SC appeal over COC

The Supreme Court building in Manila —File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — Dismissed Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes appealed on Thursday to the Supreme Court (SC) over the Commission on Elections (Comelec) decision to cancel his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the May 2025 elections.

The Comelec ruling stemmed from a petition filed by a private citizen on October 24, alleging that Cortes committed material misrepresentation on his COC.

READ: Comelec stops Mandaue mayor’s bid for reelection

The disqualified reelectionist filed a petition for certiorari at the SC against the poll body’s decision, alleging it constituted grave abuse of discretion and violated his constitutional rights.

According to Cortes, Comelec allegedly mishandled the petition against his COC by treating it as a case on his eligibility to run. Such matters, he added, should be addressed only after elections and for proclaimed winners.

Furthermore, Cortes maintained that his COC was filed in good faith and free of any patent defects.

He stressed that his disqualification was based on a decision by the Office of the Ombudsman, which was not final when he filed his COC, making the cancellation of his candidacy unjustified.

Additionally, he claimed that the poll body’s ruling violated his right to due process and the electorate’s right to freely choose their leaders. He added that election laws do not allow the Comelec to disqualify candidates preemptively on non-final grounds.

In his petition, Cortes wanted the SC to reverse the Comelec decision, issue a status quo ante order to restore his status as an eligible candidate, and clarify that Section 78 of the Omnibus Election Code does not authorize ineligibility proceedings before an election.

READ: Rally held as dismissed Mandaue mayor appeals COC cancellation

Last December 23, supporters of Cortes staged a rally in front of the former Cebu International Convention Center to oppose the Comelec ruling.

Cortes, himself, was also present during the rally, accompanied by his family, and vowed to “fight until the end.“