Question & AnswerQ&A (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 8)
The main purpose is to create a Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and a Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force to investigate and prosecute criminal elements in the Philippines, especially organized and syndicated crimes.
The President of the Philippines appoints the head, who must be a qualified senior law enforcement officer.
The core components are the Administrative/Logistics Division, Operations Division, Technical Division, and Legal and Investigation Division.
a) Prepare and implement a fast track anti-crime agenda. b) Conduct intelligence and counter-intelligence operations. c) Direct arrest, investigation, and prosecution of crime syndicates. d) Refer cases to the Department of Justice or other agencies. e) Recommend passage of anti-crime laws.
Offenses include those committed by organized/syndicated crime groups such as gunrunning, illegal logging, kidnapping for ransom, drug trafficking, falsification of government documents, heinous crimes, crimes by members of the PNP and AFP, crimes by government officials, and other crimes as determined by the President.
An organized/syndicated crime group is a group of two or more persons collaborating or mutually helping one another in committing any crime, sometimes with protection from government officials or public servants.
The members include the President (Chairman), Secretary of Justice, National Security Adviser, Undersecretary of Interior and Local Government, Chief of Staff of AFP, Director-General of PNP, and four representatives from the private sector appointed by the President.
Agencies include but are not limited to PNP, NBI, DOJ, BID, BIR, EIIB, BOC, NICA, AFP, LTO, FMB, NTC, NCSO, LRA, POEA, and other government agencies as necessary.
An initial annual allocation of One Hundred Twenty Million Pesos (P120,000,000.00) from the President's Contingency Fund and government savings.
The Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC) and the Presidential Task Force on Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence (PTFICI) were dissolved.
The Force Chief reports directly to the President and has immediate supervision and control over all units of the Task Force, including PNP, AFP, DOJ, and other agency representatives assigned to the Task Force.
Close coordination and cooperation with the PNP and other law enforcement agencies are required to ensure synergy in the anti-crime campaign, with the PNP remaining the primary general law enforcement agency.