MANDAUE City Mayor Jonas Cortes will seek reelection as an independent candidate.

But in a press conference yesterday, Cortes clarified that he was not leaving the Lakas-Kampi-CMD administration party, which passed him over in favor of Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (Cebu, 6th district), as the party’s official candidate for city mayor in the 2010 elections.

“I did it once, and I am doing it again,” said Cortes, pointing out that he ran as an independent candidate in the 2007 elections.

While Cortes sticks with Lakas, the Liberal Party (LP) of presidential aspirant Sen. Benigno Aquino III is opening its doors to him.

One of Cortes’ advisers, Edmund Sanchez is LP’s chairman for the 6th district.

Sanchez said that the party would “adopt” Cortes and endorse him for mayor even if he was not an LP member.

As a show of their support, LP would not field an official candidate for mayor in Mandaue, Sanchez said.

The Lakas-Kampi-CMD national secretariat has issued a certificate of nomination and acceptance to Soon-Ruiz, citing her as the party’s official candidate for mayor.

This was contrary to Lakas’ “equity of the incumbent” policy wherein a party member seeking reelection would automatically be the party’s official candidate for that particular position.

As the party’s official candidate for mayor, Soon-Ruiz now has the authority to issue the party’s certificates of nomination for vice mayor and members of the City Council.

Cortes, as an independent candidate, said his support for national candidates such as President, Vice President, and members of the Senate were now also open, without party restrictions.