Strengthening the Presidential Anti-Dollar Salting Task Force

May 4, 1984

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 953

STRENGTHENING THE PRESIDENTIAL ANTI-DOLLAR SALTING TASK FORCE

WHEREAS, under the Executive Order No. 934 and Letter of Instructions No. 1354 a Presidential Anti-Dollar Salting Task Force headed by the Minister of Trade and Industry was organized to identify those engaged in the illegal salting of foreign exchange, dollar blackmarketing, and/or in violations of foreign exchange regulations; casia

WHEREAS, this Presidential Anti-Dollar Salting Task Force needs to be strengthened in order to enable it to perform the tasks for which it was created;

WHEREAS, the Presidential Anti-Dollar Salting Task Force may need to prevent the departure from the Philippines of certain individuals suspected of involvement in the offense of illegal salting of foreign exchange and related offenses;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and Presidential Decree No. 1416, as amended, do hereby order and ordain:

 The Presidential Anti-Dollar Salting Task Force created under Executive Order No. 934 shall have the power and authority:

a) To promulgate rules and regulations governing the conduct of its investigations;

b) To conduct its investigation in public or in private, adjourn its hearings to anytime and place, refer technical matters or accounts to an expert and to accept his report as evidence after hearing upon notice, give all such directions as it may deem necessary or expedient;

c) To administer oaths, summon persons or issue subpoenas requiring the attendance and testimony of witness or the production of such books, papers, contracts, records, statement of accounts, agreements, and others as may be material to the investigation;

d) To punish direct and indirect contempts with the appropriate penalties therefor under Rule 71 of the Rules of Court.

SECTION 2. Preventive Measures Pending Formal Investigation. — As soon as a formal charge is instituted on the basis of prima facie and even prior to the commencement of a formal investigation, the Chairman of the Presidential Anti-Dollar Salting Task Force may order one or more of the following for the purpose of preventing the disposition or tampering of evidence, the continuation of the acts being complained of, and the flight of the respondent, as the case may be:

a) The padlocking of the business establishment, warehouse, building, shop or any other structure which might be used for the commission of the offense;

b) The prevention of the departure from the Philippines of the Respondent, regardless of citizenship, through the issuance of a hold-departure order which may not be lifted without the approval of the Chairman or the President of the Philippines;

With reference to Section (b) above, the Chairman shall issue a copy of the order to the Aviation Security Command, Manila International Airport Authority, or Commission on Immigration and Deportation, as the case may be, and the latter upon receipt thereof shall without delay implement the order and submit a report of compliance to the Chairman.

SECTION 3. The Chairman of the Presidential Anti-Dollar Salting Task Force is likewise authorized to issue a search warrant or warrant of arrest, in connection with a dollar-salting or dollar blackmarketing charge, upon probable cause to be determined by him, after examination under oath or affirmation of a complainant and the witnesses he may produce, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the person or things to be seized. cdt

SECTION 4. Separability Clause. — In the event any provision of this Executive Order or the application of such provision to any person or circumstance is declared invalid, the remainder of this Executive Order shall not be affected by such declaration.

SECTION 5. Repealing Clause. — All laws, Decrees, Instructions, Executive Orders, rules or regulations, and other similar issuances inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

SECTION 6. Effectivity. — This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

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

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 80 No. 26 page 3545 on June 25, 1984.