The impasse in the hotly-fought elections for president of the League of Municipalities (LMP) still hangs in the balance but one question that remains unanswered to this day is who among the mayors who did not follow the command vote after receiving a hefty sum from the patrons of the two protagonists. Mayor Niño Rey Boniel of Bien-Unido and Mayor Josephine Socorro Jumamoy of Inabanga got 22 votes apiece after the election of the league’s officers last Monday. As a result, Mayor Efren Tungol of Alburquerque town, as executive vice-president, will still be the LMP interim president in the meantime. According to reports reaching The Post, Boniel has a straw vote of 35 mayors committed to vote for him. He wondered what happened to the 13 others. In the case of Jumamoy, she was said to have assured of 28 votes from mayors, presumably from her partymates in the LP but only 22 made good their commitment.

Boniel’s outstanding showing in the LMP polls was attributed to the backing of former Carmen mayor Che Toribio de los Reyes. If earlier reports were to be believed, Toribio-de los Reyes reportedly dangled as much as P100,000 per mayor. But this report is yet to be validated. The total votes cast for president was short of two because of abstentions from voting either for Boniel of Jumamoy. The absence of Bilar Mayor Norman Palacio, who was still on vacation in the U. S., did not complete the 47 total mayors. Tungol confirmed in radio interview that LMP Bohol has already consulted the LMP national directorate t help them resolve the deadlock by allowing Vice-Mayor Dodong Calamba of Bilar to vote in behalf of Mayor Palacio. He said they were first told by representative of the LMP national that Calamba cannot vote but later the national directorate changed its position and allows the said vice-mayor to do so despite the fact that the election results have already been canvassed with the presence of DILG provincial director Lousella Lucino. Tungol said that if Calamba is allowed to vote for Palacio then Jumamoy would win.

But the camp of Boniel questioned the idea of allowing Calamba to vote when the election was already over based on the counting of votes. Why give special preference to Calamba, Boniel said in separate interview. Boniel said that he proposed for a term-sharing, meaning both he and Jumamoy would just sit as LMP president for one and half years each till 2016. But Jumamoy, who once served as LMP president, seemed reluctant, he said. For his part, Mayor Leoncio Evasco of Maribojoc town said that it is up to the LMP members to convene and decide what to do with the deadlock. He said in radio interview that if ever Calamba is allowed to vote then it carries with it his right to be voted upon in the league. If this so, he said, he may nominate Calamba for LMP president so that, if he wins, the LMP would be headed by a vice-mayor. It will be recalled that term-sharing is nothing new to the LMP based on the experience of then Trinidad Mayor Roberto Cajes and incumbent Mayor Rosemarie Lim-Imboy of Loay town. Lim-Imboy served first as LMP president then Cajes assumed after the former’s term of one and a half years.

Other new LMP officers-elect are Loon Mayor Lloyd Lopez -- executive vice-president; Calape Mayor Junie Yu - Vice-President for 1stdistrict; Clarin Mayor Allen Piezas – vice-president for 2nddistrict; and Mabini Mayor Esther Tabigue – vice-president for 3rddistrict. Duero town Mayor Connie Amparo - secretary-general; Dauis Mayor Miriam Sumaylo – assistant secretary; Alburquerque Mayor Efren Tungol –treasurer; Talibon Mayor Restituto Auxtero – auditor; Sikatuna Mayor Jose Ellorimo – public relations officer. The board of directors is composed of Sagbayan town Mayor Ricardo Suarez; Sierra-Bullones Mayor Dodie Maestrado; Trinidad Mayor Judith Cajes; Jagna Mayor Fortunato Abrenilla; Antequera Mayor Mario Pahang; Carmen Mayor Jun Toribio; G-Hernandez Mayor Tita Gallentes; and Anda town Mayor Dodong Amper.