Umali ally named new prexy of Ecija mayors’ league

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, April 26, 2011-A close ally of Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali has been named the new president of the provincial chapter of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, ending the long leadership vacuum marred by factionalism and power struggle among member mayors over the past several months.

Penaranda Mayor Ferdinand Abesamis, a first-term mayor, received a vote of confidence from 24 of the 27 municipal mayors who gathered at a local restaurant here Thursday to elect a new set of officers. 

Abesamis is a brother of Board Member Edmund Abesamis and provincial administrator Al Abesamis.

Abesamis’ election ended months of a leadership stalemate caused by the resignation of Umali’s erstwhile political ally, Gen. Tinio Mayor Virgilio Bote who quit the presidency of the league shortly after being voted by fellow mayors.

Abesamis, a lawyer and a former fiscal, said he will serve as league president without borders, meaning, he would deal with fellow mayors irrespective of their party affiliations. “Under an Abesamis presidency, I will see to it that political fences and walls that divide will be torn down and destroyed,” he told newsmen.

Prior to Abesamis’ election, the league was rocked by a protracted squabble and controversy when a faction from the Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija of the Josons led by San Antonio Mayor Arvin Salonga held its own election and refused to join the majority bloc led by Bote. The leadership crisis worsened when Bote suddenly resigned shortly after getting elected president.

Because of the leadership vacuum, there were several instances when Nueva Ecija was not represented in various fora of the LMP and it was not included in the roster of the league’s national directorate.

Abesamis said the new leadership is boosted by the expression of support from among Balane mayors themselves, including Mayors Francis Steven dizon of Guimba, Willy Domingo of Licab, Nerito Santos of Talavera, Levy Santos of Gen. Natividad and Salonga himself.

“Majority of our member mayors, notably from Balane spoke of unity and that’s what we will pursue under my leadership,” he said.

He said one of the development agenda of the provincial LMP will be the conduct of educational exchanges among the member local government units and adoption of common developmental goals, programs and policies. (Jason de Asis)