Tacurong City , Sultan Kudarat Mayor Lino Montilla (Photo courtesy of Tacurong CIO)
TACURONG CITY, Sultan Kudarat – Vice Mayor Lino Montilla has officially assumed as the city mayor here on Wednesday afternoon.
Montilla filled the vacancy left by his elder brother, Mayor Angelo, who passed away on June 6.
The vice mayor took his oath of office as the new local chief executive before Barangay Poblacion chair Maria Rhodora Pauya while Victoria Dolido, the city's local government operations officer, stood as a witness.
Mayor Angelo, 69, succumbed to coronavirus disease 2019 while undergoing medication in a hospital in General Santos City. His death came as a surprise for city government employees since he was last seen performing his duties as mayor on June 4.
Vice Mayor Montilla’s assumption to the mayoralty post complies with Section 44 of the Local Government Code stating that “if a permanent vacancy occurs in the office of the governor or mayor, the vice governor or vice mayor concerned shall become the governor or mayor.”
Meanwhile, based on the same provision, Sangguniang Panlungsod Member Lalaine Montilla, Lino's wife, being the councilor with the highest number of votes in the 2019 elections, subsequently took her oath of office as the new vice mayor.
The couple vowed to pursue the primary dream of the late mayor for Tacurong City, which is improving the lives of all its constituents.
“My brother has left a legacy that I ought to sustain for the city,” Lino said during a short telephone interview here.
The urn that contained the ashes of the late mayor lies in state at his residence while the burial date is yet to be announced. (PNA)
