A new Officer-In-Charge has been appointed to man the LTO following the resignation of Atty. Jay Art Tugade as agency chief. In his place, DOTr Assistant Secretary Hector Villacorta will be manning the helm of the Land Transportation Office, at least until a new Chief has been named.
Hector Villacorta takes reins of LTO beginning tomorrow, June 1, 2023
Photo: DOTr
It can be remembered that it was only this past January that PBBM appointed Hector Villacorta as the DOTr Assistant Secretary for Communications. He took his oath of office on January 5, 2023, and has served in the same post until today. Tomorrow, Villacorta will take over the reins of the LTO from outgoing Chief Atty. Jay Art Tugade after the latter handed his resignation just last week. Today will be Tugade’s last day in office as agency head.
Photo: DOTr
Villacorta’s appointment comes mere days after he cleared the air of any speculations of a personal rift between DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista and Atty. Tugade. Villacorte explained “No personal rift, it’s just the difference of management style, I would say” in an interview with the media. This clarification comes after what looked to be a passing of the buck between the LTO and the DOTr on the plastic license card and metal license plate shortage.
As OIC, Villacorta will work in a concurrent capacity and will still be DOTr ASec. for Communications.
Photo: DOTr
Being a part of the Department of Transportation, Villacorta should be no stranger to the challenges and struggles that he will be “inheriting” once he takes his seat in the LTO. We hope that his “direct” workings with the DOTr secretary can provide better ways to address the agency’s problems, provide continuity to good programs existing and in the pipe, as well as to create more programs to help the LTO in serving the Filipinos better.
Good luck, ASec Atty. Villacorta!
