Just to make sure that this supposed scoop is not one of those instances of nakuryente, The Post sought its unimpeachable source for the second time yesterday if indeed Loay Mayor May Lim-Imboy is running for vice governor against incumbent V-Gov. Concepcion Lim. The Post source has shown no hesitation in making the announcement that mayor Lim-Imboy has no place to go but to a higher position. She is in her third and final term as Loay mayor. On the surface, the story appears unbelievable as nobody in his/her right mind would fight an incumbent like Conching Lim who is known to throw all cautions to the wind including losing all financial resources if only to preserve the incumbent position she is holding right now. Many times in the past when she was still preserving her stronghold in Valencia as municipal mayor when all pretenders were left biting the dust in defeat. Her turf Valencia has since changed hands after the Lim matriarch was sure that no ambitious outsider is given the “divine right” to challenge any member of the venerable family and win.

Valencia is now ruled by a young and charming Lim, a grandchild of Conching named Katrina. For the Lim dynasty in Valencia, she is good for three terms. At 22, this convent girl and Manila-educated is still in her first term. The elder Lim is still in her third and final term and there is no indication that she is contemplating to hang her political gloves in 2016. What makes the 2016 elections interesting is that it will be electing a new president, vice president and 12 senators. As a Liberal Party stalwart, Lim is the candidate to beat. With her vaunted resources as her calling card, her family is known as belonging to the old rich Lim family in Valencia, thus, they are, for all intents and purposes, have come to be associated with elections winners. Anybody who thinks of fighting the Lims whether in Valencia or elsewhere would rather think twice because no way will they give their opponents any chance of winning. As history showed, never was there a time that the Lims know defeat from Adam. Defeat, it seems, is not found in their political vocabulary.

ENTER THE DRAGON FROM LOAY

Maybe unknown to the Lims of Valencia, there's a formidable family in Loay and Tagbilaran who believes that defeat is also an alien term in their own territory. Ironically, they used to be another Lim family but by reason of marriage it was embedded with Imboy a rather unknown entity in Loay but it has since earn currency when the husband was elected provincial board member. The original Lim was one of the heirs of the late rice and corn miller Lim Tiao Co of Tagbilaran whose siblings produced the likes of lawyer Alexander Lim, shipping magnate Jun Lim, hotelier Richard Lim of Eskaya Resort, Loay Mayor Lim-Imboy among other members of the famous clan. Among the successful heirs of the original Lim patriarch, May whose real name is Rosemarie, is into politics just like her cousin Alexander, who is a city councilor. Enter the dragon in May Lim-Imboy, who is heard to have expressed interest in running for Bohol vice governor. Definitely not a virtual unknown, May Lim-Imboy in no pushover in the race for vice governor.

Although it will be a tall order for the ambitious Loay mayor to topple an incumbent like Conching, the lady from Valencia will have to contend a young turk who is full of enthusiasm and idealism. But are enthusiasm and idealism are all there are to win an election? To May Lim-Imboy she knows certainly what it takes to win. For two terms as Loay mayor, she knew very well that the Loay mayoralty was not handed to her in a silver platter. Although both elections were not an uphill battle entirely, at least May Lim-Imboy knew that she spent a lot of money to win. Is she that rich that she can afford to throw away money during elections like it grows on trees? If the lady from Loay decides to run for any position other than municipal mayor, it is presumed that she has the imprimatur of her millionaire-brother the irrepressible Jun Lim of Lite Shipping fame. Money for money, Lim-Imboy is no match to Conching. But with the backing of Jun Lim whose resources is believed to be formidable then the Lim-Imboy vs Lim match is a nobody's fame. The all-female duel for any position up for grabs in the provincial level and considered the first time in the province, is seen as the most exciting, even more exciting than the main event. This undercard overshadows the main event in terms of money flowing down the political stream what with both candidates all willing to throw all cautions to the wind including financial just to win the coveted vote.

WHO IS MAY IMBOY?

A virtual newbie in Loay politics, she ran for mayor in 2004 and won. From there, there was no stopping May Imboy as the first lady mayor of Loay. A nurse by profession, a finance manager by vocation, a business woman by inclination, a wife and mother by choice, she has now realized that she can do better by serving the community, and in this case, her hometown, which has needed changes from the lethargy of non-productivity. Now on her final term as chief executive, Mayor Imboy has done wonders for Loay in all aspects of development, be it economic, spiritual, historical, and cultural. The face-lifting she has done to her hometown has won her unprecedented admiration for her initiative and capability.