THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc has upheld its decision declaring Zoilo Cortes a nuisance candidate in the Mandaue City mayoral race, following its resolution dated November 26, 2024.
In a resolution issued on December 13, the Comelec en banc dismissed Zoilo’s motion for reconsideration and affirmed the earlier ruling by the second division canceling his Certificate of Candidacy (COC).
The Comelec stated that Zoilo failed to show a genuine intention to run for public office.
“We agree with the findings of the Commission’s Second Division that evidence shows Respondent lacks a bona fide intention to run for the position for which he filed his COC. He has no political presence, and his behavior in promoting a vague or undefined advocacy belies any genuine aspiration to serve the public. His candidacy appears intended solely to confuse voters due to the similarity of his name with Petitioner,” read the resolution.
The petition to cancel Zoilo’s COC was filed by Joey Cortes, another mayoral candidate in Mandaue City.
The petitioner alleged that Zoilo intended to mislead voters because they have the same surname.
The Comelec further ruled that Zoilo’s motion for reconsideration lacked valid grounds and contained no sufficient legal basis.
Zoilo is a cousin of Jonas Cortes, the former Mandaue City mayor who was dismissed from office due to grave misconduct. (AYB, TPT)
