EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 33 - CREATING A PRESIDENTIAL COMMITTEE TO STUDY AND TAKE CHARGE OF THE MODERNIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF VARIOUS PENAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE COUNTRY

WHEREAS, the Philippine Government has long exerted efforts to uplift the living conditions and the welfare of the prisoners serving sentence in various penal institutions in the country;

WHEREAS, the problems raised in the past with respect to these penal institutions have dealt mainly on the lack of manageable and efficient systems for the confinement and rehabilitation of prisoners, as exhibited in the long-recognized problems of congestion, lack of available penal and rehabilitative institutions, and an inability to segregate various type of offenders;  

WHEREAS, as early as 1972, legislation had already been enacted to resolve these problems, but despite said legislation and succeeding efforts of the Philippine Government, the above-mentioned problems have continued to plague the country’s penal system, a situation which calls for the modernization and development of the various penal institutions in the country, particularly the National Penitentiary located at Muntinlupa;

WHEREAS, in consonance with the modernization and development efforts of the present government, there is a need to restudy the continued stay of the National penitentiary at Muntinlupa, with the possibility of disposing such property;  

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby create a Presidential Committee to be given the primary responsibility of studying and taking measures for the modernization and development of the various penal institutions in the country. The Committee shall have the following members:

1. Executive Secretary    — Chairman

2. Secretary of Justice     — Vice-Chairman

3. Secretary of Budget and Management — Member

4. Secretary of Public Works and Highways — Member

5. Chairman, Public Estates Authority   — Member