Dauis Mayor Marietta “Miriam” Sumaylo was elected president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) – Bohol Chapter, winning by a commanding lead over lone opposing candidate San Miguel Mayor Virgilio Mendez during the organization’s elections on Friday.
Sumaylo, who is the first Dauis chief executive to hold the LMP’s top post, garnered 34 votes over Mendez’s 11 votes following a “secret” casting of ballots by 45 mayors of the province at the Bohol Tropics Resort in Tagbilaran City.
She took oath before Governor Arthur Yap shortly after being elected.
Sumaylo, who is allied with Yap under the Padayon Bol-anon coalition, said that she did not expect to win by a large margin, considering that more mayors were known to be allied with defeated gubernatorial bet Leoncio Evasco’s Tinuod Bol-anon coalition which Mendez is a part of.
“Wa ta magdahum na ngana. Kahibaw man ta na outnumbered ta pero atong gihimo nagpaila lang ta sa mga mayors ug nagpahibaw og unsa atong mga programa para sa kaayuhan sa atoang league,” Sumaylo said.
All of the municipal mayors’ were able to vote except for Panglao Mayor Leonila Montero and Pilar Mayor Necitas Cubrado who are both serving suspensions. The towns’ vice mayors Panglao acting Mayor Brian Velasco and Pilar Acting Mayor Eugene Datahan attended the elections but were not allowed to vote as per LMP rules.
Sumaylo said that her main goal is to unite the mayors of the province who, except for Tagbilaran City Mayor Baba Yap who is a member of the League of Cities of the Philippines, are all part of the LMP.
The elections were supervised by the Department of Interior and Local Government Bohol under provincial director Johnjoan Mende and the LMP’s election committee—Tubigon Mayor William Jao, Calape Mayor Nelson Yu and San Isidro Mayor Diosdado Gementiza.
Meanwhile, Loboc Mayor Leon Calipusan won as executive vice president of the group after he ran unopposed.
Balilihan Mayor Pureza Chatto, Buenavista Mayor Dave Duallo and Garcia Hernandez Mayor Tita Baja were elected as vice presidents for the first, second and third districts, respectively.
Chatto and Baja ran unopposed while Duallo defeated Trinidad Mayor Judith Cajes.
Other elected LMP officials are as follows:
- Secretary-General – Duero Mayor Conrada Amparo
- Assistant Secretary – Sikatuna Mayor Justiniana Ellorimo
- Treasurer – Valencia Mayor Ma. Katrina Lim
- Assistant Treasurer – Talibon Mayor Janette Garcia
- Auditor – Catigbian Mayor Elizabeth Mandin Pace
- BOD – Cortes Mayor Lynn Iven Lim
- BOD – Loon Mayor Elvie Peter Relampagos
- BOD – Getafe Mayor Casey Shawn Camacho
- BOD – Danao Mayor Jose Cepedoza
- BOD – Loay Mayor Hilario Ayuban
- BOD – Anda Mayor Metodio Amper
- BOD – Sevilla Mayor Juliet Dano
- PRO – Corella Mayor Hilario Tocmo
- PRO – Albur Mayor Don Ritchie Buates
- PRO – Pres. Carlos P. Garcia Mayor Fernando Estavilla
- PRO – Ubay Mayor Constantino Reyes
- PRO – Dimiao Mayor Randolph Ang
- PRO – Lila Mayor Arturo Jed Piollo
The LMP is the association of the 47 municipal mayors of Bohol which was previously led by former Clarin mayor Allen Rey Piezas, who is now the vice mayor of the town. (Rey Tutas)