QuestionsQuestions (PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 831)
It abolished the positions of Executive Secretary, Deputy Executive Secretary, and Assistant Executive Secretary in the Office of the President.
It created such number of positions of Presidential Assistants as may be necessary, including: Presidential Assistant for Legal Affairs; for Economic and Development Affairs; for Financial and Monetary Affairs; for Budget and Fiscal Affairs; and for General Government.
To strengthen staff support for the President, enabling him to perform his duties more effectively, by providing an efficient staff assistance system along clearly distinct functional areas.
Legal matters; economic and development matters; financial and monetary matters; budgetary and fiscal matters; and general government matters.
They report and are responsible directly to the President.
“There are hereby created such number of positions of Presidential Assistants as may be necessary, including the following:”
It states: “by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution.”
It took effect immediately.
Because implementing the new staff assistance structure required altering the existing administrative arrangements supporting the President.
It implies that each Presidential Assistant has a specific domain of responsibility, aiming for clearer lines of staff assistance and coordination.
Presidential Assistant for Legal Affairs.
Presidential Assistant for Budget and Fiscal Affairs.
Presidential Assistant for Economic and Development Affairs.
Presidential Assistant for Financial and Monetary Affairs.
Presidential Assistant for General Government.
It eliminates those specific offices from the organizational structure described by the decree and replaces their staff-assistance functions with Presidential Assistants reporting directly to the President (subject to subsequent implementing rules and later legislation).