Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said he himself has no hunch on the reason for the leadership changes at the Department of Transportation (DOTr), noting that he does not need to seek clarification from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the matter.
Lopez’s remarks came after he confirmed on Friday in a press conference that the Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Atty. Vigor Mendoza II will become the new Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chair, replacing Teofilo Guadiz III.
In addition, Markus Lacanilao will assume the role of LTO chair, while Guadiz has been assigned as chair of the Office of Transport Cooperatives.
‘None,’ Lopez said when directly asked if he had any guesses on the leadership changes in the DOTr and the agencies under it.
According to Lopez, all appointees serve at the pleasure of the president; thus, they do not need to seek reasons if they will be reappointed to other government roles.
‘There doesn’t need to be a reason. I don’t need to know the reason for the change,’ Lopez said.
‘I didn’t ask, and I won’t ask for a reason. As I said, we are all appointed officials,’ he added.
The acting DOTr chief, meanwhile, noted that the criteria in appointing someone is ‘the trust and the confidence of the appointing authority over the appointee.’
He then said that he is confident that all newly appointed officials have credible backgrounds and strong credentials to do well in their posts. /mr