Saturday, 4 August 2001

New LMP officers elected by unanimous vote
By FRED GABOT
In a show of unity and support for the administration of President Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP)
elected unopposed yesterday all its national officers for 2001-2004 led by
new president Mayor Ramon N. Guico Jr. of Pangasinan.
After their election, the new LMP officers and members adopted unanimously
a resolution expressing the full support of the 1,496 town mayors of the
country for the administration of President Arroyo.

Aside from Mayor Guico of Binalonan, Pangasinan, hometown of President
Arroyo's late mother, Dr. Evangelina M. Macapagal, the LMP also elected
unopposed Mayor Celestino Martinez III of Cebu as executive vice president
for operations; Mayor Melchor Nacario of Western Samar, EVP for external
affairs; and Mayor Marino Morales of Pampanga, EVP for internal affairs;

Mayor Jose Salonga of Nueva Ecija, vice president for Luzon; Mayor Manuel
Frankie Locsin of Iloilo, vice president for Visayas; Mayor Ma. Elizabeth
Delgado of Surigao del Sur, vice for Mindanao; Mayor Suharto Mangundadatu
of Sultan Kudarat, vice president for Mindanao Concerns;

Mayor Armando Sanchez of Batangas, national treasurer; Mayor Sylvia Adame
of Bohol, auditor; Mayor Melquiades Azcuna of Misamis Occidental, business
manager; Mayor Francis Olvis of Zamboanga del Norte, public relations
officer; and Mayor Julio Uy, general legal counsel.

Mayor Guico replaces former San Juan Mayor Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada as head
of LMP.

In his acceptance speech, Mayor Guico, a cousin of President Arroyo, vowed
to pursue various projects for the improvement and empowerment of all
municipalities.

Mayor Guico also called for the return of police control and supervision to
the mayors to be able to improve the maintenance of peace and order and
make more effective the campaign against illegal drugs and all forms of
criminalities.

"In this critical period of a weakened economy, political bickering and an
alarming drop in peace and order condition, we, the mayors who are at the
frontline of government service in the countryside, must lead the battle
against poverty, criminality and destabilization misadventures against the
duly constituted authority," said Guico, a veteran mayor, businessman,
contractor, educator and owner of the Quezon City Medical Center and
Colleges on Aurora Blvd. in Cubao, Quezon City.

Guico also warned against adventurist elements out to destabilize the
Arroyo administration, stressing that the municipal mayors are united
behind the present administration.

The new LMP officers will be sworn in by President Arroyo at the Malacañang
Palace today, Saturday.

Guico said he and the LMP officers will work for the continuation of the
LMP-Department of Public Works and Highways cost-sharing project in
building longer and lasting municipal roads.

Guico also said that he will seek to transfer more resources and
infrastructure projects from the national government to the municipalities
"in keeping with our mission to be active partners of the national
leadership in the promotion and development of agriculture, sustainable
development, social services, job generation, among others."

"The time is ripe to return to the mayors the control and supervision over
the local police chiefs in order to strengthen and sustain the campaign
against criminality," he stressed. "We need to directly supervise the
movement of our police forces because we are also directly accountable to
our people who gave us their mandate to provide them with a peaceful
community where law and order reign supreme."

Guico said he and the LMP officers will lobby for the passage of major
amendments to the Local Government Code "to fine tune it and make it more
meaningful, effective and significant in this era of rising expectations of
our people."

He vowed to make LMP "truly transparent and productive in building the
capacity of our LGUs."