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THE brother of Mandaue City Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna has been dragged into the ongoing word war between Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes and the opposition-dominated City Council.
Acting Housing and Urban Development Chief Francisco Amit Jr. said the mayor is pursuing charges against Dexter Fortuna, the vice mayor's younger brother for allegedly using a city-owned motorcycle for his own benefit.
?We will pursue the case against Dexter Fortuna and we have the documents to back our case,? Amit said.
The official said they are pursuing the case because it involved city government funds intended for ronda tanods of Mandaue City.
But in a letter sent to various media outfits, Dexter said he finds nothing wrong in receiving P50,000 in funds because he was authorized by the Association of Barangay Tanods Chiefs (ABTC).
Dexter, an employee at the Mandaue City Planning Office, believed that Mayor Cortes must have been fed the wrong information by his advisers.
He said even in the midst of the ongoing political ?tumult? he still respects Mayor Cortes.
The elder Fortuna and the mayor are on a political warpath over the allegations raised by the vice mayor of a ?shadow government? comprised of relatives of Cortes that is influencing the Mandaue City government, a charge Cortes vehemently denied.
Dexter mentioned in his letter that the mayor acted as one of the sponsors in his wedding and is the godfather of his youngest child Mark Arthur Clyde.
However, Amit emphasized that Dexter registered the motorcycle bought from the legislative assistance fund (LAF) of former Cebu provincial board (PB) member Gabriel Luis Quisumbing in his name.
Amit said they are still gathering data and will present their findings next week to the public before filing a formal charge.
Dexter replied that he believed there was no cause to file charges against him because the funds didn't come from the city's coffers but from the LAF of Quisumbing.
?That is why it is very absurd to note that the good mayor claimed in his press conference that I was using a city-owned motorcycle for personal ends when in fact the police bike is 'privately-owned' (by the ABTC),? he said.
Dexter explained in his letter that he was only appointed custodian of the motorcyle by the area coordinators and ABTC president Eddie Babatid.
Dexter is the overall tanod coordinator since 2001 for all 27 barangays in Mandaue.
He also said he purchased a Skygo motorcycle and not a Yamaha motorcycle as claimed by the mayor.
He said he added P25,000 of his money to purchase the motorcycle since the vehicle cost P75,000.
The vice mayor's brother said that the motorcycle is being used in escorting processions and other city activities upon the request of its members and is not used for personal means.
