Pressure and exhaustion from work has forced Atty. Jaime Jacob to resign as chairman of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

Without much fanfare, Jacob tendered his irrevocable resignation letter dated March 18, 2013. The letter was received by the Office of the President on March 19 and was furnished to the office of the Secretary of Transportation and Communications on March 20.

In the letter, Jacob said he was not satisfied with his performance as LTFRB chief, a post he held for the past two years.

"Even as I have tried my best, after almost two years in office, I have come to the conclusion that I cannot, under prevailing circumstances and by my standards, satisfactorily perform the functions of chairman of the LTFRB," Jacob said in his letter.

Even if Jacob's resignation is to take effect on March 31, he was no longer showing up at his office in East Avenue in Quezon City after going on leave of absence.

But when sought to further explain his decision, Jacob only said "pagod na ako (I am already tired)" through text message, refusing to answer calls from the media.

Jacob said he won't be giving a press conference to explain his decision that shocked other LTFRB officials and employees, adding that "many will just be hurt and there is no forthcoming reforms."

LTFRB Board Member Engr. Ronnie Corpuz said they were also unaware of Jacob's plan to resign, adding that the three-man Board rarely see other except for case conferences.

Corpuz belied rumors that a rift among the three-man Board has caused Jacob's resignation, saying rumors have been stirred to create tension among them.

Nevertheless, Corpuz assured the transacting public of uninterrupted service despite the sudden exit of the LTFRB chairman.

"Tuloy ang trabaho (the work continues)," he said.

Corpuz added that Jacob's resignation will not cause delay in the resolution of cases that the LTFRB handles, saying "it only takes two signatures to approve or resolve a case. In this case, we can still do that."

Jacob's resignation came after Malacanang replaced LTFRB executive director Frank Mendoza. Jacob and Mendoza both worked closely with the late Secretary Jesse Robredo when the former was still mayor of Naga City.

Corpuz said neither of the two LTFRB board members, who both assumed office last July, have a say on who will be appointed to replace Jacob. He said the recommendation will come from the Transportation Secretary and the final appointment will be done by the President.