Office of the President

of the Philippines

Malacañang

MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 21

CREATING AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO STUDY THE ISSUES RELATIVE TO THE CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATIVE SET-UP AND OPERATION OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

There is hereby created an ad hoc committee to study the issues relative to the constitution and administrative set-up and operation of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), including the question of hold-over of NCIP officials.

The Committee shall be composed of the following:

The Presidential Assistant for Poverty Alleviation
–
Chairman

The Assistant Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs
–
Member

Representative, the Civil Service Commission
–
Member

Representative, the Department of Justice
–
Member

Representative, Commission on Human Rights
–
Member

The Committee shall observe the following procedures and guidelines:

1. The Committee shall notify the NCIP Commissioners of the findings made by the Presidential Assistant for Poverty Alleviation, as stated in her Memorandum for the President dated September 8, 1998;

2. The NCIP Commissioners shall submit their answers thereto or clarifications in connection with the said findings within a period of three (3) days from receipt of notice;

3. The Committee shall ensure that the principle of full representation of the ethnographic areas as mandated under Republic Act No. 8371 is duly taken into account in the resolution of the issues.

4. The Committee shall, within ten (10) days from submission by the Commissioners concerned of the required answers and clarifications, submit to the President, through the Executive Secretary, its findings and recommendations, as well as the draft action papers or decision for approval of the President.

The Department of Budget and Management, pending final resolution of the NCIP issues, is hereby directed to withhold the release of funds to the NCIP except for payments of salaries of the rank and file employees of the defunct Office of the Northern Cultural Communities and the Office of the Southern Cultural Communities.

This Memorandum Order shall take effect immediately.

By authority of the President:

(Sgd.) RONALDO B. ZAMORA
Executive Secretary

21 September 1998

Source: CDAsia