QuestionsQuestions (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 551-A)
It states that the President (Ferdinand E. Marcos) acted “by virtue of the powers vested in me by law,” as recited in the Whereas clause of the Order.
To relieve the President/Prime Minister of multifarious functions by creating an Executive Committee to pass upon papers and problems presented by Ministers, ensuring they have proper staff study, recommendations, options, and consideration of consequences before reaching the President/Prime Minister.
The Minister of Finance (Chairman), the Minister of Budget (Member), and the Minister of Public Highways (Member).
The text indicates that the President/Prime Minister may increase the members of the Committee as needed in the interest of public service.
When it is “in the interest of the public service” and “as the need arises.”
To monitor all economic problems of the Government that require daily assessment and solution.
The Committee must receive and make proper staff studies on all problems presented to it by the various Ministries.
To outline all courses of action for the problems presented to help the President/Prime Minister in decision-making.
To organize its own staff to thoroughly study any problem presented, and then submit recommendations to the President/Prime Minister together with options and alternatives.
It may call upon any official to participate so the matter brought up may be adequately ventilated.
To seek the assistance/advice of any ministry, office, agency, or entity of the government.
In the absence of an organized staff of its own, they provide the basic core of the Committee’s secretariat.
It will be assisted by the officials assigned to the President’s Study Room.
Section 3 explains that the Committee’s staff will be drawn from the respective offices of its members; however, it may initially rely on a core secretariat provided by the Cabinet Secretariat and Presidential Management Staff.
Immediately, as stated in Section 4: “This Order shall take effect immediately.”
It states that papers elevated to the President/Prime Minister are “without benefit of proper staff study,” and that some Ministers endorse pending problems without recommendations, proposed solutions, options/alternatives, or consideration of consequences.