Cortes laid to rest

The late Mandaue City councilor Demetrio “Tatay Jun” Cortes Jr. was laid to rest inside the Cortes mausoleum at the Mandaue City Cemetery yesterday afternoon.

Tatay Jun, 66, succumbed to chronic kidney disease last Dec. 28.

He was the first councilor of Mandaue and was serving his last term.

From the Cortes ancestral house, his wake was transferred to the Mandaue City Hall before the requiem in the National Shrine of Saint Joseph ( NSSJ) at 3 p. m.

At 2: 45 p. m., his casket was carried by Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna, Councilors Carmelino del Mar Jr., Ernie Manatad, Kevin Cabahug, Benjamin Basiga, Elmer Cabahug and Malcolm Sanchez and brought to the NSSJ, which is across City Hall.

Councilors Nenita Layese and Cynthia Remedio accompanied them.

Hundreds of families, relatives, government workers and friends gathered at the church to pay their last respects.

Rep. Jonas Cortes ( Cebu, 6th district), the younger brother of the late councilor, and Mayor Luigi Quisumbing arrived before the mass started.

Tatay Jun was remembered as a good public servant.

He was the author of ordinances related to the plastic bag ban, raising the financial assistance for senior citizens from P3,000 to P6,000, extending cash aid worth P2,000 to persons with disabilities, and raising the cash gift for centenarians from P5,000 to P50,000.

Fortuna said they will have to reorganize the City Council to find replacements for committees that the councilor chaired.

He was chairman of the committees on education, social services, and police, fire and penology.

“As a colleague, I feel the loss of his presence in the council. He performed well as a councilor, especially in his committees,” said Fortuna.

The vice mayor said that the Liberal Party will have to come up with Tatay Jun’s replacement in the council.

The late councilor served as the barangay captain of Centro in the early days of his political career.

He was vice mayor of Mandaue for one term during the time of the late mayor Alfredo “Pedong” Ouano.