Political career
Fortun's political career began when he was elected to the Butuan City Council in 2007. [2] [5] Thereafter he was elected Vice Mayor in 2010 and shepherded the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Butuan into passing historic and landmark legislations such as the Butuan City Watershed Code,the Butuan City Public-Private Partnership Code,the Butuan City Gender and Development Code,the Organic Farming Code,the Butuan City Shelter Code and the Ordinance Creating the Persons with Disabilities Office. He introduced the codification,tracking and archiving system that significantly contributed to the transparency and efficiency of the Sanggunian. Under his watch,the Butuan City Council was chosen National Finalist in a Search for Most Outstanding Sangguniang Panlungsod by the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
He sought for higher office in the 2013 Philippine general election where he ran and won for a seat in the House of Representatives to represent the 1st District of Agusan del Norte (Butuan City and Las Nieves).
In Congress,he was principal author of the newly enacted R.A. No. 11510 or the Alternative Learning System Act [6] and R.A. No. 11643 granting survivorship benefits to families of deceased retirees of the National Prosecution Service. [7] He also sponsored landmark legislations that were passed on Third and Final Reading including HB 7836,providing stronger protection against rape and sexual abuse and exploitation; [8] HB 8097 reforming the Solo Parents Welfare Act; [9] HB 5869 expanding the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act; [10] HB 8179 or the Sustainable Forest Management Act; [11] HB 5869,or the Expanded Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children (E-VAWC) Act; [12] HB 5989 for the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience; [13] HB 7036,or the Security of Tenure Act; [14] and HB 9147,or the Single-Use Plastic Products Regulation Act. [15]
Fortun took positions consistent with rule of law and human rights on several controversial issues in the House. He was among the few Members who voted against the Death Penalty Bill [16] and was the lone dissenter in the Committee on Justice against the bill lowering the minimum age of criminal liability from 15 years old to 9 years of age. [17] In the impeachment proceedings against former Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno,he was one of only four Justice Committee members to oppose the committee’s policy not to allow counsels for the respondent to cross-examine witnesses and resource persons. [18] He also was among the few House members who opposed the P1,000.00 budget for the Commission on Human Rights [19] saying “Congress should strengthen democratic institutions,not weaken them.”Fortun was one of 20 legislators who introduced a resolution upholding the independence of the Ombudsman at the height of attacks against the Office in 2017. He vigorously opposed the non-renewal of the franchise of ABS-CBN. [20]
