MANILA — The Land Transportation Office (LTO), often tagged as one of the "most corrupt government agencies," wants to rebrand itself with a new chief —Atty. Teofilo Guadiz III.

Fresh from his assignment as LTO's Region 1 director, Guadiz was sworn into office last week along with a new set of officials under the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Guadiz promised an agency that will focus on quick and affordable transactions for the motorists, as well as an iron hand to discipline corrupt employees.

These priorities, he Guadiz said, will change LTO’s "corrupt" image.

“We cannot do that overnight. The very reason kaya nagiging corrupt is because the bureaucratic process is very tedious. If you cut the business process you simplify everything. There will be very minimal corruption," Guadiz said.

Guadiz said he discovered that the agency addressed complaints against LTO employees in a "lackadaisical" manner.

“The previous administration tends to be lackadaisical pag may complaints. Due process muna. Matagal. On my part, hindi. Suspended agad iyong tao, and then show-cause order, and then investigate," Guadiz said.

“You have to rule with an iron hand to drive the point that you cannot just mess around with the people,” he added.

To prevent corruption, he is seeking to simplify transactions at the agency.

Guadiz plans to remove unnecessary steps to get a driver’s license, such as expensive certificates from driving schools. He also wants a drive-through car registration process.

“Ang mandate ko with president (Marcos) is make the transaction of LTO simple and easy as possible; number two dapat inexpensive we should try to remove unnecessary expenses. I feel LTO has a lot of things to offer and it is not offering these things (to) the people.”

Guadiz said there are agency contracts he wants to sift through in his first 90 days in the office.

He declined to specify which deals he was pertaining to, but he promised clean governance under his term in the agency.

Problems will meet the new LTO chief with over 11 million backlogs in vehicle plates and emission testing centers controversy.

“I feel that the agency has a lot of problems and I feel that being an insider for the last 12 years, I have so much to contribute in terms of improving the policy and services of the agency. I am fully aware kung ano ang issues dito,” Guadiz said.

Guadiz worked as LTO-NCR Regional Director before he was assigned to Region 1.

During the campaign period last April, Guadiz ordered the suspension of all apprehensions on vehicles of supporters of former Vice President Leni Robredo and former Senator Francis Pangilinan who were heading to the tandem's rallies in Pangasinan.

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