Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista has designated lawyer Mercy Paras Leynes as the officer-in-charge of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) amid the corruption allegations against the top official of the agency.
In an order dated Oct. 10, Bautista approved the designation of Paras-Leynes as replacement of lawyer Teofilo Guadiz III who was suspended by President Marcos on Monday, Oct. 9, over allegations of multi-million peso bribery in obtaining franchise, especially for modern passenger jeepneys.
“In the exigency and best interest of the service, Atty. Mercy Paras Leynes, Board Member of the LTFRB is hereby designated as Officer-in-Charge-Chairperson of the LTFRB from 01 October 2023 ot 09 October 2024,” the order signed by Bautista read.
“As such, she shall perform and discharge al the functions and responsibilities of the office, unless otherwise earlier amended or superseded,” the order added.
Bautista earlier ordered a thorough investigation into the alleged corruption in the LTFRB after a former assistant of Guadiz exposed in a press conference how some transport groups would give huge sum of money for the approval of franchise.