MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte signed two executive orders – one institutionalizing the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy (PADS) and another on a Foreign Investment Negative List.
Executive Order 66 directs all government agencies, offices, departments, and bureaus including government-owned and -controlled corporations and state universities and colleges to carry out the PADS in accordance with their respective mandates.
“The proliferation of prohibited drugs and their precursors is a serious national concern, encompassing social, economic, psychological, and economic interests, which necessitates the active and unified involvement of various government and nongovernment agencies,” read part of EO 66.
The PADS “outlines the balanced efforts of the government to strengthen its campaign against prohibited drugs and their precursors, and contribute to international efforts to counter the worldwide illegal drug problem.”
The Dangerous Drugs Board formulated the PADS and was tasked to lead its implementation.
Nongovernment organizations, civil society organizations and private institutions were encouraged to actively support projects under the PADS.
“To ensure the successful implementation of the PADS and to demonstrate our country’s resolve in confronting the issue on illegal drugs, it is necessary to ensure that government and nongovernment entities carry out their respective functions and tasks under the PADS,” the EO further read.
Meanwhile EO 65, or the 11th Foreign Investment Negative List, enumerates the areas of economic activity where foreign ownership is prohibited by the Constitution.
Such areas include mass media; practice of professions; retail trade enterprises with paid-up capital of less than US$2,500,000; cooperatives; organization and operation of private detective, watchmen or security guard agencies; and small-scale mining.
Also barred from foreign ownership were the utilization of marine resources in archipelagic waters, territorial sea and exclusive economic zone, as well as the small-scale utilization of natural resources in rivers, lakes, bays and lagoons; ownership, operation and management of cockpits; manufacture, repair, stockpiling, and/or distribution of biological, chemical and radiological weapons and anti-personnel mines; and manufacture of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices./PN
