Office of the President

of the Philippines

Malacañang

MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 54

AUTHORIZING THE ANTI-TERRORISM COUNCIL – PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
CENTER TO SIGN THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH UNITED
NATIONS INTERREGIONAL CRIME AND JUSTICE RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR
THE SET-UP AND FUNCTIONING OF THE CBRN CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE
REGIONAL SECRETARIAT FOR SOUTH EAST ASIA.

WHEREAS, there is a need to develop a coordinated strategy for risk mitigation involving chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats, whether arising from natural, accidental or criminal sources;

WHEREAS, the European Union (EU) launched in 2010 an initiative, jointly implemented by the EU’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), to implement a coordinated strategy for CBRN risk mitigation at international, regional and national levels;

WHEREAS, following the letter dated 21 September 2012 sent by the UNICRI to the GPH, the GPH, through the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, sent a letter confirmation on 3 January 2013, which constituted an Exchange of Letters, for facilitating the set-up and functioning of CBRN Centres of Excellence (COE) Regional Secretariat for South East Asia in Manila;

WHEREAS, the Exchange of Letters stipulates that GPH and UNICRI will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding in order to define the administrative, personnel and technical aspects of the set-up and functioning of the CBRN COE Regional Secretariat;

WHEREAS, the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) created pursuant to Republic Act No. 9732 serves as the central policy-making, coordinating, supervising and monitoring body of the government in relation to acts of terrorism;

WHEREAS, by virtue of Executive Order No. 39, Series of 2011 dated 28 April 2011, the ATC was designated as the Philippine National Authority on Chemical Weapons Convention pursuant to the GPH’s obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention;

NOW, THEREFORE, the ATC – Program Management Center (PMC) is hereby designated as the agency to represent the GPH in the Memorandum of Understanding with the UNICRI for the set-up and functioning of the CBRN COE Regional Secretariat for South East Asia, implementing the Exchange of Letters between the GPH and UNICRI.

Acting Executive Director OSCAR F. VALENZUELA of the ATC-PMC is hereby designated as the authorized signatory to sign on behalf of the GPH the Memorandum of Understanding with UNICRI.

This Memorandum Order shall take effect immediately.

City of Manila, this 19th day of March, 2013.

By authority of the President:

(Sgd.) PAQUITO N. OCHOA, JR.
Executive Secretary