Cortes renews Fortuna, 27 others

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes may be consolidating further his political influence by renewing for another six months the contracts of 28 consultants.

On top of the list of consultants is former vice mayor Carlo Fortuna, a known political nemesis of Cortes.

The move of Cortes in hiring opposition stalwarts as consultants is one way of unifying political clans in the city.

Fortuna was first hired as consultant on legislative affairs in June 2012. When still a vice mayor from 2007 to 2010, Fortuna was a critic of Cortes.

Aside from Fortuna, Cortes had also allied with former Rep.  Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, whom he defeated in the 2010 mayoral candidate.

Soon-Ruiz however resigned as public health consultant when she filed her candidacy for the 6th district congressional seat as candidate of One Cebu, opposite incumbent Rep. Luigi Quisumbing of the Liberal Party.

City Administrator James Abadia revealed Fortuna’s contract has been renewed twice because of his expertise and competency in consultancy services.

Other consultants who will serve until the end of Cortes’ second term as mayor are Mandaue Chamber of  Commerce and Industry’s former president Eric Mendoza (business matters); environmental lawyer Benjamin Cabrido (environment);  former head of the City’s Housing and Urban Development Office Francisco Amit Jr. (urban development); economist Fernando Fajardo (business and economic development); and former City administrator Briccio Joseph Boholst (Mandaue South Development Project)./Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos