Guidelines in the Drive Against Foreign Exchange Smuggling and Blackmarketing

June 4, 1984

LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 1412

 

WHEREAS, under Executive Order No. 934 and Letter of Instructions No. 1354, the Presidential Anti-Dollar and Task Force was created to identify those who are engaged in the salting of foreign exchange and other violations of foreign exchange regulations and to prosecute the violator to the full extent of the law;

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 953 was promulgated granting the Presidential Anti-Dollar Salting Task Force with additional powers to enable it to discharge its function more effectively;

WHEREAS, to ensure the success of the Presidential Anti-Dollar Salting Task Force in its mission, it is necessary that all intelligence and law enforcement agencies involved in the drive against dollar salters, blackmarketeers and smugglers should coordinate their activities to avoid unwarranted overlapping of operations and investigations which may jeopardize the government's effort to put an end to these nefarious practices; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Letter of Instructions No. 177 dated November 28, 1978, all ministries, bureaus, offices and agencies of the government including government-owned or controlled corporations shall obtain first the clearance of the National Intelligence and Security Authority before undertaking any intelligence operations;

NOW, THEREFORE, I , FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, do hereby order and direct the following:

1. All intelligence and law enforcement agencies or units under any government ministry, bureau, office or instrumentality shall refrain from conducting operations and investigations against persons or entities suspected of engaging in blackmarketing, smuggling or salting of foreign currencies, without prior written clearance from the Director General of the National Intelligence and Security Authority;

2. The Finance Ministry Intelligence Bureau is hereby directed to cease and desist from involving itself in the enforcement of laws, operations, and/or investigation of any matter pertaining to the blackmarketing, smuggling or salting of foreign currencies;

 The Presidential Anti-Dollar Salting Task Force is hereby vested with exclusive authority to investigate all violations of the provisions of Presidential Decree No. 1883 and where the evidence so warrants, to file the appropriate charges before the Fiscal's Office;

4. The Director General of the National Intelligence and Security Authority is hereby authorized to promulgate such implementing Rules and Regulations to give effect to this Letter of Instructions;

5. Any violation of this Letter of Instructions shall be dealt with administratively;

6. All orders, letter of instructions and directives in conflict with this Letter of Instructions are hereby rescinded.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 4th day of June, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Four.