ILOILO – The municipality of Leganes has a new mayor.
Jose Romi Marañon, elected vice mayor in 2016, took his oath as mayor yesterday morning following the death of Mayor Adolfo Jaen, 82, on Sunday night.
“As to leadership style, this will be participative. I will consult my constituents in every decision I will be making,” said Marañon.
Marañon was sworn in by Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. at the provincial capitol.
Jaen expired past 7 p.m. on Sept. 16 at St. Paul’s Hospital Iloilo due to multiple organ failure.
Like Jaen, Marañon was a lawyer and had been practicing his profession these past 35 years. He had been a Sangguniang Bayan member of Leganes thrice and elected vice mayor twice.
Marañon vowed to complete the programs and projects that Jaen started such as the conversion of Leganes’ 108-hectare municipal fish pond into an industrial zone with a modern seaport.
With Marañon becoming mayor, the No. 1 Sangguniang Bayan member of Leganes, Lyle Libaquin Bartolome, took over the vice mayorship.
The resulting vacancy in the Sangguniang Bayan would eventually be filled up, said Marañon.
“Under the law, kun sin-o nga partido ang naka-bakante, and because the mayor (was a) Liberal Party member, probably somebody from the LP will fill up the vacant (seat),” said the new mayor.
Meanwhile, Governor Defensor expressed sadness over the demise of Mayor Jaen.
“He was known for his integrity and clean governance,” said Defensor.
Leganes is a 4th-class municipality. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 32,480 people.
Leganes is some 10 kilometers north of Iloilo City./PN
