Question & AnswerQ&A (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 273)
Republic Act No. 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, mandates the Department of Health to oversee and monitor the integration, coordination, and supervision of all drug rehabilitation, intervention, after-care, and follow-up programs and the establishment and operation of drug treatment rehabilitation centers nationwide.
The Transition Committee is chaired by the DOH and includes members from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and the Private Sector Representative of the Dangerous Drugs Board.
The Transition Committee is responsible for assisting the DOH in the smooth transfer of administrative control, including resource transfer and personnel transition, of the government drug treatment and rehabilitation centers from the PNP and NBI to the DOH.
No, the Executive Order stipulates that no personnel shall be displaced, and they are given the option to stay with their mother units during the transition.
An initial amount of P350 million from the P1 billion standby fund for the Anti-Dangerous Drugs Campaign was allotted to the DOH to immediately assume the operation of existing government treatment and rehabilitation centers in 2004.
It directs an additional P300 million to be included in the GAA FY 2005 for the DOH to hire additional personnel, improve capability of existing personnel, modernize or expand facilities, and establish more treatment and rehabilitation centers, especially in regions without existing centers.
The drug treatment and rehabilitation centers of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), including their TRCs located in Bicutan, Iloilo, Albay, Cebu, Tagaytay, Cagayan de Oro, and Cebu, are transferred to the DOH.
The separability clause states that if any provision of the Executive Order is declared invalid by a competent court or tribunal, the other provisions shall remain unaffected and shall continue in full force and effect.
Executive Order No. 273 took effect immediately upon its signing on January 20, 2004.