REPEALING PRESIDENTIAL DECREES NOS. 1791 AND 1774

WHEREAS, under Presidential Decree No. 1791, all official acts, decisions or orders of the Minister of National Defense or any other Cabinet member or any other public officer of the civilian government or member of the Armed Forces, in carrying out orders or regulations issued by the then President pursuant to Proclamations Nos. 1081 and 1104, were deemed the latter’s official acts, decisions and orders;

WHEREAS, the said decree, in effect exempted the said officials or public officers from liability for any wrongdoing, criminal or civil, if done in obedience to or in implementation of the said orders, rules, regulations, decrees of instructions;

WHEREAS, the present government recognizes the constitutionally enshrine principles that public office is a public trust and that public officers and employees shall remain accountable to the people; accordingly, the said decree has no more place in our democratic system;

WHEREAS, there is a Presidential Decree No. 1774, which is published in a secondary source which practically treats of the same subject matter except insofar as the said decree specified the Integrated National Police and the Civilian Home Defense Force, in addition to the officers mentioned in Presidential Decree No. 1791;

WHEREAS, there is confusion as to the content of Presidential Decree No. 1774 since it appears in the Malacanang Records Office that Presidential Decree No. 1774 deals with an amendment to Section 20(b) of the National Internal Revenue Code;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, CORAZON C. AQUINO, President of the Philippine, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. Presidential Decree No. 1791 is hereby repealed.

SECTION 2. Presidential Decree No. 1774, as published in the secondary source and insofar as it deals with a subject matter similar to or the same as Presidential Decree No. 1791, is likewise hereby repealed.

SECTION 3. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 10th day of June, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-seven.

By the President:

(Sgd.) JOKER P. ARROYO
Executive Secretary