QuestionsQuestions (MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 17)
Memorandum Order No. 17 states that PDEA shall continue to be the overall lead agency “pursuant to Republic Act No. 9165.”
The NBI, Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Bureau of Customs (BoC), Philippine Postal Office (Philpost), and all other agencies and/or existing ad hoc anti-illegal drug task forces are directed to resume active support to the PDEA.
It refers to a Presidential Memorandum issued on 10 October 2017 directing the NBI, PNP, AFP, BoC, Philpost, and other agencies/ad hoc task forces to leave to the PDEA, as sole agency, the conduct of all campaigns and operations against those involved in or connected with illegal drugs.
It was intended to pinpoint precise accountability and was prompted by allegations from some sectors that summary killings of illegal drug suspects were perpetrated by law enforcement agencies, particularly the PNP.
It was allegedly seriously hampered by lack of resources, specifically agents and operatives who can penetrate drug-infected areas down to the municipal and barangay levels.
It orders the PNP and other listed agencies to resume providing active support to the PDEA in the conduct of anti-illegal drug operations.
PDEA continues as overall lead agency pursuant to RA 9165 and is directed to coordinate all government efforts through the inter-Agency Committee on Anti Illegal Drugs (ICAD).
The ICAD is stated to have been created under Executive Order No. 15 issued on 06 March 2017.
The Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) is stated to remain the policy-making and strategy-formulating body.
The PDEA, as Chair of the ICAD, must submit monthly reports to the Office of the President on the progress of the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign.
It underscores that the directives in the Order are mandatory and must be followed by the concerned agencies and task forces.
It restores active support from other law enforcement agencies while keeping PDEA as the overall lead agency and requiring coordination through ICAD.
It claims that since 11 October 2017, the PDEA had made significant strides with only one (1) drug suspect killed in the course of its anti-illegal drug operations.
It references a resurgence of illegal drug activities and related crimes after PNP and other agencies were directed to leave operations to the PDEA; this is used to justify restoring support.
It states that the President acted “by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and existing laws.”