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MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 49

MANDATING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT DATED 04 JULY 2011, ENTITLED “TOWARDS THE CORDILLERA PEOPLE LIBERATION ARMY’S FINAL DISPOSITION OF ARMS AND FORCES AND ITS TRANSFORMATION INTO A POTENT SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND UNARMED FORCE” AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

WHEREAS, the Government and the Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army (CPLA) signed the Mount Data Peace Accord on 13 September 1986;

WHEREAS, Administrative Order (AO) No. 18 (s. 2001) mandated the integration of the CPLA members into the regular force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as officers, enlisted personnel and/or active auxiliaries of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Units (CAFGU) and provided livelihood for them;

WHEREAS, on 04 July 2011, the Government and the Cordillera Bodong Administration (CBA), CPLA signed a Memorandum of Agreement entitled “Towards the CPLAs Final Disposition of Arms and Forces and its Transformation into a Potent Socio-Economic and Unarmed Force” (Closure Agreement);

WHEREAS, the Closure Agreement covers all the areas that AO No. 18 sought to achieve, in addition to putting closure to the Mount Data Peace Accord; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to streamline the operations of government with respect to the CBA and CPLA, promote coherence among government agencies in their relations with CBA and CPLA, and avoid duplication of efforts.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BENIGNO S. AQUINO III, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. Guidelines Implementing the Closure Agreement The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) is hereby authorized to create guidelines to fully implement the Closure Agreement.

SECTION 2. Winding Down Process of AO No. 18 (s. 2001). The Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are hereby directed to implement a winding down process and close the livelihood programs being implemented under AO No. 18 within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Executive Order. In relation thereto, the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (PAPP) is hereby directed to exercise primary oversight functions to oversee and monitor the effective and efficient winding down process of AO No. 18. For this purpose, the DND and the AFP may call upon any Government agency or office for such assistance as may be necessary in the implementation of the winding down activities.

SECTION 3. Assistance, All heads of departments, agencies, bureaus and offices, including government-owned and-controlled corporations, are hereby enjoined to render full assistance and cooperation to the OPAPP as may be required to carry out the Closure Agreement.

SECTION 4. Funding. The funding for the winding down process of the livelihood programs shall be sourced from the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) funds.

SECTION 5. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Executive Order is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid and subsisting.

SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. All orders, rules, regulations, and issuances, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Executive Order, are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SECTION 7. Effectivity. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately upon publication in a newspaper of general circulation,

DONE, in the City of Manila, this 19th day of July, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Eleven.

(Sgd.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III

By the President:

(Sgd.) PAQUITO N. OCHOA, JR.
Executive Secretary

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