Directing All Government Offices, Agencies and Instrumentalities, Including GOCCs and SUCs, to Take an Active Role in the Anti-Illegal Drugs Campaign

November 12, 2018

MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 53

DIRECTING ALL GOVERNMENT OFFICES, AGENCIES AND INSTRUMENTALITIES, INCLUDING GOVERNMENT-OWNED OR -CONTROLLED CORPORATIONS AND STATE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES, TO TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE ANTI-ILLEGAL DRUGS CAMPAIGN

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the State to pursue an effective campaign against trafficking and use of dangerous drugs through an integrated system of planning, implementation and enforcement of anti-illegal drug abuse policies, programs, and projects;

WHEREAS, the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) was established under Republic Act (RA) No. 9165, otherwise known as "The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002," as the policy-making and strategy-formulating body in the planning and formulation of policies and programs on drug prevention and control;

WHEREAS, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) was created pursuant to RA No. 9165, to be responsible for the efficient and effective law enforcement of all the relevant provisions on dangerous drugs and/or controlled precursors and essential chemicals, including the implementation of the national drug control strategy formulated by the DDB;

WHEREAS, Executive Order (EO) No. 15 (s. 2017) created the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) and the National Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force to suppress the drug problem in the country;

WHEREAS, Section 4 of EO No. 15 provides that the National Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force composed of members of law enforcement agencies, including members of the institutions called upon for assistance, shall undertake sustained anti-illegal drug operations;

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 66 (s. 2018) institutionalized the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy (PADS) by directing all government offices, including government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCCs) and state universities and colleges (SUCs) to implement the PADS in accordance with their respective mandates;

WHEREAS, the drug problem continues to degrade the moral fiber of society, undermining the rule of law, and has evolved as a national security problem;

NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby DIRECTED that all government offices, agencies and instrumentalities, including GOCCs and SUCs, to immediately mobilize their assets and take an active role in the government's anti-illegal drugs campaign, in accordance with their respective mandates.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 12th day of November, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Eighteen.

 

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 114, No. 48, p. 7975 on November 26, 2018.