Sibonga Mayor Lionel Bacaltos. | Photo from Sibonga DRRMO
CEBU CITY, Philippines —The mayor of Sibonga town in southern Cebu, Lionel “Balandong” Bacaltos, passed away on Wednesday, September 25.
Local officials in Cebu, including Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, confirmed they had received news of Bacaltos’ untimely death.
“I am deeply saddened by the sudden passing of a dedicated public servant, loving husband and father, trustworthy ally, and dear personal friend, Mayor Lionel Bacaltos,” said Garcia.
Several mayors, including Sun Shimura (Daanbantayan and President of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines – Cebu Province), Gerald Anthony ‘Samsam’ Gullas (Talisay City), Rajiv Enad (Minglanilla), and Gungun Gica (Dumanjug), also extended their condolences to the relatives of the late mayor.
Bacaltos’ immediate family has yet to issue any statements as of this writing. The cause of his death remains unknown.
In the meantime, Cebu officials paid tribute to Bacaltos, fondly called “Balandong,” by remembering him as a hardworking public servant.
“He worked tirelessly to bring infrastructure projects and programs from the Capitol to Sibonga, all for the welfare and upliftment of his beloved constituents,” said Garcia.
Sibonga is a third-class municipality located approximately 50 kilometers south of Cebu City.
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