THE DEPARTMENT of Transportation (DoTr) confirmed on Tuesday that Mercy P. Leynes is now the officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), following the suspension of its chairman Teofilo E. Guadiz III for alleged corruption.
In a special order, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said the appointment of Ms. Leynes, who currently serves as LTFRB board member, will be effective on Oct. 10, 2023 to Oct. 9, 2024.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. ordered the relief of Mr. Guadiz as LTFRB chairman after Jeffrey G. Tumbado, a former executive assistant of the suspended official, appeared in a transport group’s press conference to expose alleged corruption in the agency.
In a separate statement on Monday, DoTr has asked Mr. Guadiz to explain the allegations against him.
“We already launched an investigation on the allegations against the LTFRB. While we are already evaluating the alleged irregularities involving [Chairman Guadiz], we also issued a notice to explain against Guadiz for him to shed light on the allegations,” Mr. Bautista said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
