Bulacan mayor elected national president of league of municipalities

The League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) has elected Paombong Mayor Donato Marcos as its National President last Friday. The Bulacan official succeeded Bacoor Mayor Strike B. Revilla after being voted unanimously by 58 members who attended the General Assembly. In an interview with GMA News Online, Marcos said his administration will work on unifying the LMP, stressing that the lack of consensus has held back the realization of its programs. "My rallying cry when I campaigned for this position was 'Our unity is our strength. Our strength is our unity'. I-expect dito na one voice ang LMP. Isang boses lamang at ang isang boses na ito, tiyak maririnig,” Marcos said. “We should stand and lobby in all legislation measures in all the Senate and Congressional Bills pertaining to LGUs," he added. The newly elected president also affirmed the necessity of working hand-in-hand with the Aquino administration, citing the projects of the National Anti-Poverty Commission. He said that the LMP should be "touching and tapping international and national development interventions,” especially regarding 609 municipalities identified as the "poorest of the poor”. Marcos said he considered his new position a “big responsibility”. “The position of being the president of LMP is not a position of power. It is a position of leadership, where you are leading the leaders,” he said. The recent election also filled in the vacant positions of the Executive Committee. The new members of the EC are Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur Mayor Ace William E. Cerilles as National Treasurer; Anilao, Iloilo Mayor Ma. Teresa F. Debuque as Business Manager; Gerona, Tarlac Mayor Dennis Norman T. Go as National Spokesperson; and Dinalupihan, Bataan Mayor Joel Jaime P. Payumo as Secretary General. - BM, GMA News