Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Assistant Secretary Virginia Torres will be back by the middle of the month, President Benigno Aquino III confirmed Tuesday.
Torres, according to sources, figured in policy differences between Malacañang and outgoing Transportation Secretary Jose de Jesus prior to the latter’s resignation.
The two sides reportedly didn’t see eye to eye on whether Torres should be reinstated or removed following her alleged involvement in an attempted takeover of the LTO’s information technology provider Stradcom.
“She’s gone on an extended leave. This is in effect a penalty for the seeming lack of discretion when the other group (in Stradcom) took over the premises,” Mr. Aquino said during the news briefing where he announced the appointment of former Sen. Mar Roxas as transportation secretary.