MANILA, Philippines (Updated 3:53 p.m.) — The Department of Transportation has reinstated Teofilo Guadiz III as chairman of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board after being suspended due to corruption allegations.
Guadiz will return as the head of the LTFRB Monday, less than a month after he was suspended by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
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“In the exigency and best interest of service, Assistant Secretary Teofilo Guadiz III is hereby reinstated as chairperson of the LTFRB, effective 6 November 2023,” the special order signed by Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista read.
Jeffrey Tumbado, former executive assistant of Guadiz, claimed in a press conference in October that the approval of franchises, routes and special permits was being sold in the LTFRB, and that the corruption could reach Malacañang. Guadiz denied the allegations.
Tumbado later recanted his claims of corruption, saying that those were “borne out of impulse, irrational thinking, poor decision making, and misjudgment.”
An investigation against Guadiz was launched after the allegations came to light.
In a statement, Guadiz thanked Marcos for the move to reinstate him as the chair of the LTFRB and vowed to uphold the “highest standards of integrity, transparency, and efficiency” in leading the agency.
“We will work tirelessly to address the pressing issues and challenges in the transportation sector, striving to improve the lives of the Filipino people by providing safe, reliable, and accessible public transportation services,” he said. — Gaea Katreena Cabico