Title
Order to Resume Support for PDEA Operations
Law
Memorandum Order No. 17
Decision Date
Dec 5, 2017
A memorandum order directs the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies to resume providing active support to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in conducting anti-illegal drug operations, aiming to address allegations of summary killings and establish accountability.
law enforcement agencies
summary killings
accountability

Covered agencies and anti-illegal drug task forces

  • The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Bureau of Customs (BoC), and Philippine Postal Office (Philpost) are required to resume active support to the PDEA.
  • All other agencies are required to resume active support to the PDEA.
  • Existing anti-illegal drug task forces are required to resume active support to the PDEA.
  • Support is specifically required in the conduct of anti-illegal drug operations.

PDEA as overall lead agency and coordinator

  • The PDEA must continue to be the overall lead agency in the anti-illegal drug campaign.
  • The overall lead role is maintained pursuant to Republic Act No. 9165.
  • The PDEA must coordinate all government efforts through the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).
  • The ICAD is the inter-agency mechanism created under Executive Order No. 15 issued on 06 March 2017.

ICAD reporting to the Office of the President

  • The PDEA, acting as Chair of the ICAD, must submit monthly reports to the Office of the President.
  • The monthly reports must cover the progress of the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

Policy and strategy: role of Dangerous Drugs Board

  • The Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) must remain as the policy-making and strategy-formulating body.
  • The DDB’s role is in the planning and formulation of policies and programs on drug prevention and control.

Basis and intent of the directive

  • The order is anchored on the President’s powers vested by the Constitution and existing laws.
  • It responds to an earlier President-issued Memorandum on 10 October 2017 that had directed the NBI, PNP, AFP, BoC, Philpost, and all other agencies/anti-illegal drug task forces to leave the conduct of anti-illegal drug campaigns and operations to the PDEA as sole agency.
  • The order reflects the objective of precise accountability and is tied to public allegations and concerns regarding summary killings of illegal drug suspects by law enforcement agencies, particularly the PNP.
  • It is also premised on claims of the resurgence of illegal drug activities and crimes related to illegal drugs after PNP and other agencies were directed to leave the operations to the PDEA.

Relationship to other issuances and compliance

  • The order directs coordination through the ICAD created under Executive Order No. 15 (06 March 2017).
  • The order reiterates the anti-illegal drug campaign framework anchored on Republic Act No. 9165.
  • The directive requires strict compliance by the identified agencies and task forces.

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