Executive Order No. 293




MALACAÑAN PALACE MANILA BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES [ EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 293, April 10, 1958 ] CREATING THE PRESIDENT’S LAW ENFORCEMENT UNIT FOR SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES WHEREAS, rampant violation of the customs, revenue, immigration, and other laws of the Philippines has remained unchecked in the southern areas of the Philippines; WHEREAS, the illicit traffic and activities in the said areas continue to deprive the Government of substantial revenue and provide ruinous competition to legitimate business; WHEREAS, the uncontrolled traffic of persons carrying on their illegal activities through the southern frontier of the Philippines may provide opportunities for the conduct of foreign-inspired clandestine activities inimical to our national economy, political institutions, and way of life and, specially our national security; WHEREAS, cognizant of the urgent need for a vigorous, coordinated, and continuing national effort to counteract those illegal activities, it is deemed necessary and proper that the available resources and power of the Government be fully mobilized and placed under unified supervision, coordination, and control; NOW, THEREFORE, I, CARLOS P. GARCIA, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order: 1. There is hereby created a special task group to be known as the “President’s Law Enforcement Unit for Southern Philippines.” The Unit shall be composed of a representative from the Armed Forces of the Philippines who shall act as chairman, one (1) representative from the Department of Justice; two (2) representatives from the Department of Finance representing the Bureaus of Customs and Internal Revenue; and one (1) representative each from the Bureau of Immigration and the Philippine Constabulary, all to be designated by the respective heads or chiefs thereof within seven (7) days from the date of this Order. 2. a. The Unit shall supervise and coordinate the administration and enforcement of Philippine tariff, customs internal revenue, immigration, firearms, and currency laws and regulations, including the apprehension and prosecution of violators thereof within the area of its operation. For this purpose, the Unit shall operate in the Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan areas including all the surrounding waters and in such other areas as the President of the Philippines may direct. b. The Unit will have its office or headquarters at such places as the chairman thereof shall designate. 3. a. For the purpose of this order and to assist the Unit in its work, each member, as the direct representative of the Department Head or chief of the bureau or office, shall— (1) exercise ail the powers and duties vested by law in such department head or chief of bureau or office, including other additional powers and duties, as may be specifically delegated by them; (2) have authority to require the officers, agents, or deputies in the area belonging to, or under the jurisdiction of, the department, bureau, or office he represents to perform any. duty or do any act which the head or chief thereof could lawfully require them to do. b. The head of the departments, bureaus, and offices represented in the Unit shall extend their full support and assistance to the Unit and to their representatives therein, and shall take immediate steps to carry out the purpose and intent of this order within their respective organizations and capabilities. c. The Unit shall be regularly assisted by such subordinate officers and employees as may be assigned or detailed to it from time to time. For this purpose, it is hereby authorized to call upon any department, bureau, office, agency, or instrumentality of the Government, or upon any officer or employee thereof, for such assistance and information as it may require in the performance of its work. 4. The Unit shall continually study ways and means to improve law enforcement in the area of its operation, and shall submit periodically reports of its activities and recommendations to the President of the Philippines. Done in the City of Manila, this 10th day of April, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and fifty-eight, and of the Independence of the Philippines, the twelfth.1a⍵⍴h!1 (Sgd.) CARLOS P. GARCIA President of the Philippines By the President: (Sgd.) JUAN C. PAJO Executive Secretary The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation