EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 19, September 01, 1992

CONSTITUTING THE NATIONAL UNIFICATION COMMISSION, PRESCRIBING ITS AUTHORITY AND FUNCTIONS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

WHEREAS, a viable general amnesty program and peace process that will lead to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace are priority concerns of the government;

WHEREAS, to address these concerns and the problem of bringing back the rest of the rebels in our society to the folds of the law, there is need to undertake a comprehensive and participative peace process which will involve all concerned sectors of society in order to generate the collective political will to attain peace with justice;

WHEREAS, there is a need to constitute the National Unification Commission and prescribe its authority and functions to achieve the said objective;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order that:

Section 1. ORGANIZATION. - There is hereby constituted a National Unification Commission (NUC), which shall be an advisory body to the President, to be composed of a Chairman and four members to be designated by the President, and two members each from both Houses of Congress to be designated by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively. The Commission shall have a Vice Chairman, who shall be elected by the members from among themselves.

Section 2. AUTHORITY AND FUNCTIONS. - In pursuit of its objectives, the Commission shall have the following authority and functions:

a. Formulate and recommend, after consulting with the concerned sectors of society, to the resident within ninety (90) days from its formal organization, a viable general amnesty program and peace process that will lead to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the country;

b. Call upon any official, agent, employee, agency or instrumentality of the national or local government for any assistance that may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Executive Order;

c. Review and evaluate the existing National Reconciliation and Development Program (NRDP) pursuant to Executive Order No. 103 dated 24 December 1986 with the view to integrating the program into the general amnesty program and peace process;

d. Prescribe the corresponding duties, functions and working procedures of the Technical Committee and Secretariat.

Section 3. COUNCIL OF ADVISERS. - There is hereby created a Council of Advisers, which shall serve as a consultative body on the peace process. It shall be composed of members to be designated by the President upon the recommendation of the Commission.

Section 4. TECHNICAL COMMITTEE. - The Commission is hereby authorized to create a Technical Committee and designate the members thereof.ℒαwρhi৷ The Technical Committee shall provide expert and professional assistance to the Commission.

Section 5. SECRETARIAT. - The Commission shall organize its Secretariat to be headed by an Executive Director. The Secretariat, which shall be composed of persons designated by the Chairman and those detailed to the Commission, shall provide administrative staff support to the Commission and the Technical Committee. The Executive Director of the Secretariat shall be designated by the Commission.

Section 6. OFFICE. - The Commission shall hold office in the National Capital Region. Other offices may be established by the Commission as necessary.

Section 7. FUNDING. - The Commission shall be funded with an initial allocation of Twelve Million Pesos (P12,000,000.00), without prejudice to the Commission submitting a supplemental budget, all to be drawn from the President’s Contingent Fund. Appropriation for succeeding years shall be incorporated in budget proposals under the Office of the President.

Section 8. ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDELINES. - The Commission shall adopt such administrative guidelines as may be necessary to implement this Executive Order. The Commission may sit en banc and/or constitute itself into such divisions or committees as it may deem necessary for the speedy, efficient and effective performance of its functions.

Section 9. EFFECTIVITY. - This Executive Order shall take effect immediately after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

Done in the city of Manila, Philippines, this 1st day of September, in the year of our Lord, nineteen hundred and ninety-two.

(Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS

President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) DIONISIO C. DE LA SERNA

Senior Deputy Executive Secretary