EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 138
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 138 -
REORGANIZING THE CABINET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON INTERNAL SECURITY,
AMENDING EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 21 DATED JUNE 19, 2001 AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
WHEREAS,
insurgency and organized crime pose a serious and direct threat to
internal security;
WHEREAS, the National Internal Security Plan (NISP) prescribes a
holistic approach in addressing these threats to internal security;
WHEREAS, there is an urgent need to ensure that all agencies of the
Government perform their roles and responsibilities under the NISP;
WHEREAS, there is also a need to involve the Members of Congress in the
Government’s response to the threats to internal security;
WHEREAS, under Sec. 31, Chapter 10, Title III, Book III of the
Administrative Code of 1987, the President has the continuing authority
to reorganize the administrative structure of the Office of the
President.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic
of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do
hereby order:
Section 1. Reorganization. — The Cabinet Oversight
Committee on Internal Security (COC-IS) is hereby reorganized and shall
be composed of the following:
a.
President of the Republic of the Philippines as Chairperson;
b. Members of
the Core Staff:
i.
Executive Secretary;
ii. Secretary of National Defense;
iii. Secretary of the Interior and Local Government;
iv. Secretary of Foreign Affairs;
v. Presidential Chief of Staff;
vi. National Security Adviser;
vii. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process;
viii. Presidential Adviser for Special Concerns;
ix. Presidential Adviser on Military Affairs;
x. Presidential Adviser on Police Affairs;
xi. Presidential Consultant on Counter-Intelligence;
xii. Presidential Assistant on Mindanao and other
Regional Presidential Assistants as needed;
c. Other
Members of the Executive Committee; and
d. Leaders of
Congress.
The Presidential Adviser on Strategic Concerns shall assist the
President in overseeing the Core Staff.
Sec. 2. Functions. — The COC-IS shall perform the
following functions:
a.
Act as an advisory body to the President on matters affecting the
internal security of the country; and
b. Coordinate
and oversee the performance by the concerned agencies of the Government
of their roles and responsibilities under the NISP.
The COC-IS shall meet upon the call of the President, with the
Secretariat and its Director-General preparing the agenda.
Sec. 3. Executive Committee. — The COC-IS shall
have an Executive Committee (EXCOM) composed of the following:
a.
Executive Secretary as Chairperson;
b. Secretary of National Defense as Vice-Chairperson;
c. Secretary of the Interior and Local Government;
d. Secretary of Justice;
e. Secretary of Social Welfare and Development;
f. Presidential Adviser on Strategic Concerns
g. National Security Adviser;
h. Chief Presidential Legal Counsel;
i. Press Secretary;
j. Lead Convenor, National Anti-Poverty Commission;
and
k. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process.
The EXCOM shall act on all matters requiring immediate attention and/or
disposition and shall meet upon the call of the Executive Secretary.
The EXCOM shall, when necessary, conduct dialogues with the Commission
on Human Rights on issues or matters affecting or relative to internal
security.
Sec. 4. Secretariat. —
a.
The COC-IS Operations Center and the Situation Room personnel are
hereby merged and shall form the Secretariat of the COC-IS, which shall
serve as the latter’s staff organization. It shall be organized and
built up as the President’s integrative institution for defense, police
and foreign policy matters.
b. The
Secretariat shall be headed by the Presidential Adviser on Strategic
Concerns as Director-General.
c. The
Secretariat shall have its operations center in Malacañang
Palace.
d. All
agencies of the Government dealing with internal security and crime
shall provide the Secretariat with intelligence reports as required.
e. The
Secretariat shall perform the following functions:
i.
Vet the assessments of the military and police hierarchy on the problem
of internal security and crime; and
ii. Monitor
the implementation by the concerned agencies of their tasks in the
holistic approach to counter insurgency under the NISP.
Sec. 5. Internal Security Committees. —
a.
At the sub-national level, internal security committees (ISCs) may be
organized by the COC-IS as deemed necessary based on the situation
prevailing in a specific area which may consist of one or more regions,
two or more provinces in the same region, or two or more provinces in
different regions, and where the need for holistic government
intervention is necessary.
b. At the
local level, an ISC may be organized in each province, or chartered
city by the COC-IS as deemed necessary. The governor of the province or
the mayor of the chartered city where an ISC has been organized may
organize ISCs in their respective component cities, municipalities and
barangays as applicable and as deemed necessary. The chief executive of
the local government unit shall, as a general rule, be its chairman who
shall determine its composition.
c. The
sub-national or local ISC so created may be dissolved when the COC-IS
has determined that the threat to national security and/or public order
in the area has ceased or when so ordered by the President.
Sec. 6. Functions and Responsibilities of
Sub-National ISCs. — The sub-national ISC shall:
a.
Ensure that offices of departments and agencies at the sub-national
level inform the COC-IS, through their respective central offices, of
programs and projects with potential or significant internal security
implications and see to it that these offices prioritize the initiation
and implementation of programs and projects that address the root
causes of internal security threats;
b. Coordinate
with regional offices of departments and agencies and local government
units and monitor the execution of their local components of the
NISP;
c. Establish
and maintain sub-national Area Coordination Centers as may be deemed
necessary; and
d. Submit
reports to the COC-IS as required.
Sec. 7. Functions and Responsibilities of Local
ISCs. — The local ISC, in coordination with the local Peace and Order
Council and the local Development Council, shall:
a.
Provide direction in the planning of, and coordinate the internal
security efforts in the area;
b. Execute the
policies directed by the COC-IS in the implementation of the NISP;
c. Organize
and supervise the operations of local Area Coordination Centers;
d. Make a
periodic assessment of the prevailing situation and evaluate the
effectiveness of the coordination and integration of internal security
programs in place; and
e. Submit
reports to the COC-IS, and the sub-national ISCs, as required.
Sec. 8. Functions of Local Area Coordination
Centers. — The local Area Coordination Centers shall:
a.
Serve as a point of contact between and among concerned government
offices and agencies in the coordination and integration of internal
security activities;
b. Provide a
communication facility on a twenty-four (24) hour basis;
c. Undertake
monitoring functions for the COC-IS and ISCs at the sub-national and
local levels; and
d. Direct a
timely, coordinated and integrated initial response to crisis
situations.
Sec. 9. Transfer of Records, Property and
Applicable Appropriations. — The records, property and applicable
appropriations of the COC-IS Operations Center are hereby transferred
to the COC-IS Secretariat.
Sec. 10. Funding. — The fund requirements of the
sub-national Area Coordination Centers shall continue to be included in
the budget of the Department of National Defense.
Sec. 11. Repeal. — Executive Order No. 21 dated
June 19, 2001 is hereby modified. All orders, rules, regulations and
issuances, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Executive
Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
Sec. 12. Effectivity. — This Executive Order shall
take effect immediately upon approval.
City of Manila, October 21,
2002.
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