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WHEREAS, during the Cabinet meeting of 29 September 1999, the President decided, with favorable indorsement from the Cabinet, that the “Strategy of Total Approach” shall serve as the overall strategy to effectively address armed conflicts/insurgencies in the country;

WHEREAS, the “Strategy of Total Approach”, as presented during the above-mentioned Cabinet meeting, consists of a security component, a political component, and a socio-economic component to address armed conflicts/insurgencies.

WHEREAS, military action by itself is not a sufficient solution to deter and resolve armed conflicts/insurgencies, therefore, government must implement a package of policies and programs that effectively and simultaneously address the socio-economic, the political and the security aspects of the situation;

WHEREAS, there is a need for effective coordination and orchestration of peace and development operations, under a strong and unified leadership;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law and the Constitution, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. CREATION OF A CABINET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON PEACEKEEPING AND DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS. A Cabinet Oversight Committee is hereby constituted to provide direction and supervision in the implementation of the “Strategy of Total Approach” to affectively address armed conflicts/insurgencies in the country.

SECTION 2. COMPOSITION OF THE CABINET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. The Cabinet Oversight Committee shall be headed by the Executive Secretary as Chairman and the Secretary of National Defense as Vice-Chairman with the following members:

1. Secretary of Interior and Local Government (DILG);
2. Secretary of Justice (DOJ);
3. Secretary of Agriculture (DA);
4. Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR);
5. Secretary of Agrarian Reform (DAR); and
6. Director-General, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA); and
7. National Security Adviser, as secretary to the Committee.

SECTION 3. RESOURCE PERSONS OF THE CABINET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. The Cabinet Oversight Committee may call upon the following to serve as resource persons to assist the Committee in its functions:

1. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process;
2. Chief of Staff AFP;
3. Chief PNP;
4. Director-General, NICA; and
5. Heads of other concerned departments/agencies as needed.

SECTION 4. FUNCTIONS OF THE CABINET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. The Cabinet Oversight Committee, on behalf of the President, shall have the following functions:

1. Provide over-all guidance and supervision in the implementation of the “Strategy of Total Approach” so that there will be a strong and unified authority and focus in addressing armed conflicts/insurgencies;
2. Monitor and coordinate, with concerned Cabinet departments and agencies, the implementation of various development programs to help address armed conflicts/insurgencies in specific areas of the country; and
3. Encourage active participation of local government units, the private sector, and civil society, in the implementation of programs to help address armed conflicts/insurgencies in their respective jurisdictions.

SECTION 5. TASKS OF DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES. Concerned departments and agencies shall pursue the following tasks:

1. DND-AFP shall be the lead department/agency that shall orchestrate the security component of the strategy, closely supported and complemented by the socio-economic clusters and political-security clusters of the Cabinet.
2. AFP shall draw up the implementing military strategy, in close coordination with, and with the support of the PNP.
3. Cabinet Departments and agencies concerned shall adopt programs and projects that complement and support DND/AFP in the pursuit of the national strategy.
4. Local government units (LGUs), under the suspension of the DILG, shall be made to actively participate and implement programs to help address armed conflict/insurgency in their respective jurisdictions.

SECTION 6. SECRETARIAT. The Office of the National Security Adviser and Director-General, National Security Council, shall provide staff coordination and secretariat support to the Committee.

SECTION 7. EFFECTIVITY. This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE, in the City of Manila, this 6^th day of October, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-nine.

(Sgd.) JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA
President of the Philippines

By the President:
(Sgd.) RONALDO B. ZAMORA
Executive Secretary