Bercede now acting mayor

CEBU, Philippines — Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede is now Mandaue City’s acting mayor for a year.

In his Aug. 24 memorandum addressed to Bercede, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-7 Director Leocardio Trovela said there is no need for an implementation order because the vice mayor should automatically assume as acting mayor, based on the rule of automatic succession.

This came after the Office of the Ombudsman ordered that Mayor Jonas Cortes be suspended without pay for one year after finding him guilty fof grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, whose order Cortes received last August 21.

"Upon verification, it was determined that the aforementioned decision was served upon the respondent mayor on August 21, 2024, which consequently resulted in a vacancy of the said position,” read Trovela’s memorandum.

“In view of this, you (Bercede) are informed that, by operation of law, on give date, you are to immediately exercise the powers and functions of the City Mayor in an acting capacity pursuant to section 46 (a) of the Local Government Code of 1991 during the period of suspension of Mayor Jonas Cortes," it added.

Cortes’s suspension stemmed from the complaint filed by Sereno Gabayan Monsanto, Rosimay Cali Caling, and Annabel Dela Cerna Andebor against him and Camilo Basaca.

The complainants said Cortes’ designation of Bacasa as City Social Welfare Development Office (CSWDO) officer-in-charge (OIC) violates Section 483 of Republic Act No. 7160 (Local Government Code of 1991).

The complainants said that Basaca does not possess the required eligibility and qualifications for the position, as he was not a duly licensed social worker and has not acquired experience in the practice of social work for at least five years.

They said Cortes violated certain provisions of the law when he designated Basaca as CSWSO OIC because the latter was not eligible and qualified for the said position.

Cortes and Basaca denied the allegations. In a joint counter-affidavit, they maintained that the designation of Basaca as CSWSO OIC was compliant with the existing rules and regulations governing designations.

Basaca also argued that he had acquired at least five years of experience in the practice of social work before his questioned designation, as he had served as the lead community focal person of “KAABAG Mandaue” since 2017.

KAABAG Mandaue is a socio-civic non-governmental organization that represents and caters to multiple sectors, such as women and children, persons with disabilities, elderly, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and the youth.

The Ombudsman said that the certifications issued by KAABAG Mandaue and the city administrator of Mandaue failed to prove that Basaca had indeed been practicing the required number of years in the field of social work.

The said certifications, the Ombudsman said, may be even considered as self-serving as it was Cortes who founded KAABAG Mandaue.

“Evidently, the act of respondent Cortes in designating respondent Basaca as OIC-CSWSO, despite of the latter's failure to meet the qualification requirements and non-compliance with the provisions of the pertinent civil service rules and regulations shows that there is clear intent to violate the law and flagrant disregard of established rule,” Ombudsman stated in finding Cortes guilty of the complaint.

Cortes has described the penalty against him as very harsh.  He also wondered why he was suspended for such an offense when a similar case was filed against the previous mayor but it was dismissed.

Copies of Trovela’s memorandum were furnished to DILG Mandaue City Johnjoan Mende; the Mandaue City Human Resources Management Office; members of the Mandaue City Council; DILG Undersecretary for External, Legal and Legislative Affairs Atty. Juan Victor Llamas; Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Dante Barga; and Commission on Audit-7’s Visitacion Mendoza. (CEBU NEWS)