WHEREAS, this Government is founded on good governance which includes the speedy administration of justice;

WHEREAS, in order to ensure and maintain immediate disposition of cases appealed to the Office of the President, it is necessary to designate senior officials to focus on the resolution of these cases and to authorize them to sign resolutions and decisions related thereto;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order as follows:

1.    The following senior officials in the Office of the President (OP) are hereby directed to focus on the review and resolution of decisions, resolutions, order or actions of departments, agencies and offices elevated to the Office of the President for review and final administrative resolution.

a.    Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Waldo Q. Flores
b.    Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs Manuel B. Gaite
c.    Presidential Assistant Manuel C. Domingo
d.    Undersecretary Enrique D. Perez
e.    Assistant Executive Secretary Edwin R. Enrile

The Executive Secretary shall designate from among the foregoing officials the administrative coordinator of the team.

2.    For this purpose, the officials designated in Section 1 hereof shall have the authority to sign "By authority of the President" decisions, resolutions and orders:

a.    Affirming in toto the decisions, resolutions, or orders of departments, agencies or offices:
b.    Denying/dismissing motions for reconsideration of previous Office of the President decisions which affirmed in toto the decisions, resolutions, or orders of departments, agencies or offices;
c.    Dismissing appeals filed out of time;
d.    Dismissing appeals on matters over which the Office of the President has no jurisdiction;
e.    Dismissing appeals on the mutual agreement of the parties;
f.     Declaring a decision, resolution or order in an appealed case as final and executory and/or remanding the records of the case to the relevant office; and
g.    Approving the withdrawal of an appeal.

The foregoing authority shall be valid from July 1 to December 31, 2004.

3.    However, recommended decisions for the reversal or modification of decisions, resolutions, orders or actions of departments, agencies or offices, shall be immediately forwarded to the Executive Secretary for disposition. Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Waldo Q. Flores and Presidential Assistant Manuel C. Domingo are likewise authorized to sign decisions for reversal or modification upon clearance with the Executive Secretary.

4.    The Executive Secretary shall issue guidelines and take such measures to effectively carry out this delegation of authority and ensure an orderly distribution and disposition of cases.

5.    The foregoing delegation of authority shall not preclude the Executive Secretary from exercising his powers and functions pursuant to the provisions of Sections 25, 26, and 27, Title III, Book IV of the Administration Code of 1987.

6.    All previous issuances and/or provisions thereto insofar as these are inconsistent herewith, are hereby superseded and/or modified accordingly.

Adopted: 09 July 2004

By the President:

(SGD.) ALBERTO G. ROMULO
Executive Secretary