AMENDING EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 8 CREATING A PRESIDENTIAL ANTI-ORGANIZED CRIME COMMISSION, TO INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE CRIMINAL ELEMENTS IN THE COUNTRY

WHEREAS, a sustained,
relentless and dedicated campaign to minimize organized and syndicated
crimes as well as to neutralize their protectors in government are among
the priorities of the administration;

WHEREAS, the
Administrative Code of 1987 empowers the President with the continuing
authority to reorganize the Office of the President and to transfer from
one department or agency to another;

WHEREAS, the
creation of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force and other
task forces especially tasked to investigate and prosecute criminal
syndicates and their protectors is imperative to bring about focus and
substantive results in the campaign against criminality and corrupt
practices;

WHEREAS, there is a need to identify and
effectively prosecute criminal groups and their protectors in government
through efficient intelligence and counter-intelligence efforts;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, for hereby order:

1. Prepare
   and implement a fast track anti-crime and anti-graft and corruption
   action agenda and adopt appropriate measures to ensure an effective and
   efficient anti-crime drive;

2. Conduct intelligence and
   counter-intelligence operations to identify government officials and
   employees, crime syndicates and their cohorts who are involved in
   criminal activities;

3. Cause or direct the immediate
   arrest, investigation and speedy prosecution of crime syndicates,
   government officials and employees and their cohorts, with due regard to
   constitutional processes;

4. Refer the cases at hand, as
   the Commission or the Task Forces, may deem proper and necessary, to the
   Department of Justice, and/or other appropriate law enforcement
   agencies for investigation or prosecution, as the case may be;

5. Follow-up the progress of on-going investigation and prosecution of cases take cognizance of by the Task Forces;
6. Recommend the passage of appropriate anti-crime issuances and legislations;
7. Select
   and recruit personnel from within the PNP, the AFP and other law
   enforcement agencies for assignment to the Task Forces subject to the
   conformity of the agency concerned;

8. Enlist the
   assistance of any department, bureau, office, agency or instrumentality
   of the Government, including government-owned and/or controlled
   corporations, in the anti-crime and anti-graft and corruption drive,
   which may include the use of their respective personnel, facilities and
   resources for a more resolute prevention, detection and investigation of
   crimes and prosecution of their perpetrators;

9. Subject
   to the existing laws, grant monetary rewards or incentives to informants
   giving vital information leading to the successful prosecution of
   criminal offenders and corrupt government officials;

10. Coordinate
    with the Witness Protection Security and Benefits Program Committee of
    the Department of Justice to evaluate and assess witnesses who may
    qualify under the provisions of Republic Act No. 6981, otherwise known
    as the Witness Protection and Benefit Act;

11. Subject to
    the approval of the President, authorized access to documents,
    installations and facilities in pursuit of specific crime investigation
    over government agencies and government-owned or controlled
    corporations; and

12. Recruit civilian personnel and enlist their services for intelligence gathering efforts.

1. Those
   committed by organized/syndicated crime groups, including but not
   limited to gunrunning, illegal logging, robbery/hold-up, kidnapping for
   ransom, white slavery, illegal recruitment, carnapping, smuggling,
   piracy, drug trafficking, falsification of land titles and other
   government forms, large scale swindling, film piracy, counterfeiting and
   bank frauds;

2. Those considered and punished as heinous crimes under Republic Act No. 7659 (Heinous Crime Law);
3. Those committed by the members of the Philippine National Police and/or the Armed Forces of the Philippines;
4. Those
   committed by officials and employees of government agencies including
   government agencies including government-owned and controlled
   corporations;

5. Such other criminal offenses as the President may determine from time to time.

1. The Task Force Chief shall report and be directly responsible to the President;
2. The
   Task Force Chief shall have immediate supervision and control over all
   units of the Task Forces. He is authorized to designate duties and
   functions of personnel under him;

3. The component units
   from the PNP, AFP, DOJ and selected/chosen representatives of other
   government agencies shall be attached to the Task Forces by their
   respective mother units. The Task Forces shall have direct operational
   and supervisory authority over these personnel.

DONE in the City of Manila, his 28th day of September in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand.

By the President:

RAMON B. ZAMORA
Executive Secretary