
LAND Transportation Office (LTO) chief Jay Art Tugade on Monday announced his resignation from his post, citing differences between his office and the Department of Transportation (DOTr), its parent agency.
His resignation takes effect on June 1.
In a statement, Tugade said he was stepping down as LTO chief to give DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista “the free hand to choose who he can work best with.”
“Even as DOTr and LTO both aim to succeed in serving the public, our methods to achieve that success differ,” he said.
“I will continue to root for the LTO’s success even as a private citizen, because I will always share in Sec. Bautista’s belief that our offices can be a formidable force for good in our country,” he added.
Tugade, the son of former Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade, resigned from the LTO six months since assuming the office’s leadership.
He was initially appointed as the new general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), but was moved to LTO last November.
His resignation comes as the LTO faces a shortage in plastic cards for driver’s licenses. Bautista and Tugade earlier gave contradicting statements about the issue.