President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has abolished the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) and transferred its jurisdiction, powers and functions to the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs, the Palace said Thursday.
Executive Order No. 1 also abolishes the Office of the Cabinet Secretary and the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson—all agencies formed by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2017.
“In order to achieve simplicity, economy and efficiency in the bureaucracy without… disruptions in internal management and general governance, the administration shall streamline official processes and procedures by reorganizing the Office of the President proper and the various attached agencies and offices, and by abolishing duplicated and overlapping official functions,” the EO reads.
The Office of the Cabinet Secretary will be placed under the directcontrol and supervision of the Presidential Management Staff.
Marcos also signed EO 2, abolishing the Office of the PresidentialSpokesperson, and reorganizing and renaming the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) as the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS).
The OPS will pronounce, on behalf of the President, matters pertaining to his actions, policies, programs, official activities, and accomplishments.
The OPS is also tasked to develop and implement necessary guidelines and mechanisms pertaining to the delivery and dissemination of information in policies, programs, official activities, and achievements of the President and the executive branch.
It is also mandated to establish and maintain rapport with private media and other similar entities and stakeholders, as well as supervise and coordinate with agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations attached to the OPS.
Agencies and offices attached to the OPS include the Bureau of Broadcast Services, Intercontinental Broadcasting Corp., the National Printing Office, the News and Information Bureau, and People’s Television Network, Inc.
Under EO 1, all personnel affected by the abolition of both the PACC and OCS and OPS may be eligible for benefits provided under existing laws.
EO No. 1, signed on June 30, also creates an Office of the Presidential Adviser on Military and Police. It will be under the administration of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP).
Former Davao congressman Anton Lagdameo is the current Special Assistant to the President.
The OPS shall be headed by a Press Secretary who will have an assistant secretary with support staff of not more than 20 personnel.
The issuance of EO 2 came the same day when Marcos, as well as Press.
“There is a need to rationalize and consolidate the communications arm of the administration for a more efficient delivery of public policy to the general public,” EO No. 2 said.
The OPS personnel will be appointed by Cruz-Angeles and approved by Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez.
In addition, there shall be undersecretaries for operations, plans and policies; administration, finance and procurement; legal affairs; media accreditation and relations; digital media services; print media services, and related government-owned and -controlled corporations and attached agencies; and special concerns.
Each undersecretary will have assistant secretaries and support staff.
APO Production Unit, Bureau of Broadcast Services, Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation, National Printing Office, News and Information Bureau, and People’s Television Network will be attached to the OPS for purposes of supervision, control, and budget clustering, the EO states.
Radio Television Malacañang, previously under the supervision of the then PCOO, will be placed under the direct supervision and control of the Presidential Management Staff.
On the other hand, the Philippine Information Agency will be under the direct supervision of the OP.
“The PIA shall absorb the following offices previously under the control and supervision of the PCOO: Bureau of Communications Services; Freedom of Information-Program Management Office; and Good Governance Office,” EO 2 said.
The PIA, the EO provides, will continue to be headed by a director-general, with the rank of undersecretary, and will be entitled to four deputy directors-general with the rank, salary, and emoluments of assistant secretary, and four assistant directors-general with the rank, salary, and emoluments of director IV.
Senator Francis Escudero, meanwhile, said he supported the abolition and revamp of some offices in the executive department that were found to be duplicating the functions of other government agencies, saying it would save the administration scarce resources that could be used to fund more programs for the poor.
“Less bureaucracy is always better so we can have more money for projects and programs that directly benefit our people instead of just being spent on salaries and wages of government officials and employees,” Escudero said after Executive Order No. 1 was issued by Marcos in a bid to trim the bureaucracy.
“Any initiative to make the government more effective and efficient in responding to the current needs of the people is always welcome and commendable,” Escudero said.
Also on Thursday, Marcos picked former Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana to be the chairman of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).
Marcos also appointed former Quezon City councilor Diorella Maria “Lala” Sotto-Antonio as chairperson of the Movie and Television Review Classification Board (MTRCB).
Film Development Council (FDCP) chairperson and chief executive officer (CEO) Liza Diño-Seguerra will continue to head the film body in a holdover capacity while the papers of her replacement, actor Tirso Cruz III, remain pending, the Palace also said.
