President Bongbong Marcos has issued his first executive order- abolishing the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, Office of Cabinet Secretary and reorganizes the Presidential Communications Office or PCOO.
The directive is contained in Executive Order No. 1 signed by Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez.
“Now, therefore, I, Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order: The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission is hereby abolished and its jurisdiction, powers and functions shall be transferred to the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs,” the executive order said.
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“The Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs shall make recommendations on matters requiring its action, to the Executive Secretary for approval, adoption or modification by the President,” it added.
The anti-corruption commission was formed by then President Rodrigo Duterte to probe his appointees involved in corruption activities.
The agency is also authorized to conduct lifestyle checks and fact-finding inquiries on acts and omissions of all covered presidential employees, inside and outside of the executive branch of the government.
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Marcos also ordered the abolition of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary saying it should be under the Presidential Management Staff.
“The Office of the Cabinet Secretary is hereby abolished… The Cabinet Secretariat, in coordination with the Executive Secretary, shall assist the President in establishment of agenda topics for Cabinet deliberations, or facilitate the discussion of Cabinet meetings,” the order says.
