QuestionsQuestions (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 4)
The EO cites Section 31, Chapter 20, Title III, Book III of the Administrative Code of 1987, which recognizes the President’s continuing authority to reorganize the administrative structure of the Office of the President.
The Office of the Press Secretary was reorganized and renamed as the Presidential Communications Operations Office.
The Presidential Communications and Operations Head shall have the rank of Cabinet Secretary, with all corresponding salaries, emoluments, and benefits.
Examples include: (a) developing guidelines for dissemination of official information; (b) developing, managing, and operating government-owned or controlled information dissemination facilities; (c) setting up and maintaining field offices; (d) managing or supervising agencies involved in information gathering and dissemination; (e) coordinating and cultivating relations with private media; (f) managing and administering the OP Website; and others.
It must develop, manage, and operate viable government-owned or controlled information dissemination structures/facilities to provide the Office of the President and the Executive Branch access to the people as an alternative to private mass media.
It provides that the office shall maintain such deputies and assistants as may be necessary, explicitly including: Undersecretary for Administration and Finance; Undersecretary for Operations; Chief of Staff; Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs; and an Electronic Data Processing Division Chief.
They include: News and Information Bureau; Philippine News Agency; Philippine Information Agency; Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) 13; RPN 9; NBN 4; PBS-Radio-Television Malacanang; Bureau of Communications Services; National Printing Office; APO Production Unit; and OP Web Development Office.
The Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office is created.
They focus on messaging system crafting and enhancement, designing issue responses, ensuring message consistency, assisting new media strategies and research, liaison with Malacañang Records Office, supervising market research and public opinion monitoring, formulating editorial guidelines for state media, ensuring corporate identity consistency, acting as custodian of institutional memory (including Presidential Museum and Library supervision), and editorial functions for the Official Gazette.
The Head shall have the rank of Cabinet Secretary; the Deputy shall have the rank of Undersecretary.
Examples include: Presidential Message Staff; OP Correspondence Office; Media Research and Development Staff; Presidential Museum and Library; Official Gazette; and Speech Writers Group.
It states that the budget of the reorganized and created offices shall come from the remaining budget of the Office of the Press Secretary and the Office of the President for the current year, subject to existing laws; succeeding years’ appropriations shall follow regular budget procedures.
Except as required under the EO, covered officials, offices, or agencies continue discharging their respective functions and responsibilities as defined under existing law or issuances.
Section 13 provides a repealing/modifying clause for all inconsistent orders/circulars/rules/issuances or parts thereof; Section 14 provides severability—if a provision is held unconstitutional, the remainder remains in full force and effect.
It states the EO shall take effect immediately.