The Supreme Court on Monday (Jan. 20) stopped the Commission on Elections from cancelling the certificate of candidacy of former Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortez.

In a temporary restraining order issued by the High Court, the comelec was also prevented from deleting Cortes’ name from the list of candidates for the mayoralty race in Mandaue.

Comelec and lawyer Ervin Estandarte were ordered to comment on the petition within a non-extendible period of 15 days from receipt of the notice.

Estandarte is the petitioner in the disqualification case filed against Cortez.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the poll body will comply with the SC directives, adding that printing of ballets have not yet been started.

In an en banc ruling, the poll body cancelled Cortes’ COC for material and false representation in December 2024.

The Comelec upheld Estandarte’s complaint that Cortes committed misrepresentation in his COC by claiming he is eligible for the office he is seeking.

The election commissioners noted that the omission was deliberate considering that there were specific questions in the COC that ask candidates to reveal facts about pending cases and decided legal controversies for his dismissal.,

In the field inquiring about criminal and administrative cases, Cortes reportedly wrote N/A or not applicable.

Early October in 2024, the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed Cortes from service after finding him guilty of grave misconduct for allowing