Antipolo vice mayor takes oath as new mayor

MANILA, Philippines - Antipolo City Vice Mayor Danilo Leyble was sworn in Thursday as the new mayor of the city, two days after Mayor Victor Sumulong succumbed to illness. A radio report said Leyble took his oath of office at 10:30 a.m. before Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno at the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) headquarters in Quezon City. The report quoted Leyble as saying that he would continue the projects of Sumulong, who died of multiple organ failure due to diabetes last Tuesday. Replacing Leyble as the city's new vice mayor is Councilor Lorenzo Zapanta, who also took his oath Thursday. Under the Local Government Code, in the event of permanent vacancy in the position of mayor, the vice mayor will assume the vacated position while the highest ranking member of the City Council will assume the vice mayor. Sumulong, 62, a first term mayor and a diabetic, had been confined at the Makati Medical Center. He was first brought to the National Kidney Institute in Quezon City last New Year's Eve. Sumulong served as congressman of Antipolo from 1998 to 2004, and a congressman of 2nd District of Antipolo City from 2004 to 2007. He was elected mayor in 2007, replacing Angelito Gatlabayan. He was a member of President Arroyo's Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) party. - Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV