Duterte enhances Cabinet Secretary’s powers

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed an executive order enhancing the powers and functions of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary (OCS), which is currently occupied by his national campaign manager Leoncio Evasco Jr.

Executive Order No. 9 signed on December 1 was issued to "enhance and strengthen the organizational capability of the OCS in order to effectively address and monitor the delivery of the identified targets of the government and to ensure the streamlining and re-engineering of the development thrusts of the Administration."

The EO creates new offices under the OCS: the Office of the Participatory Governance (OPG) and the Strategic Action and Response (STAR) Office.

The OPG is meant to promote active citizenship, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability in governance. It ensures direct participation of stakeholders in crafting and formulating policies and programs for the grassroots level.

The STAR Office, on the other hand, is expected to promote timely action and response to the public's concerns. It is meant to strengthen the Presidential Action Center, which is renamed as Presidential Complaint Center (PCC).

Meanwhile, the Public Concerns Office (PCO) under the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) will be transferred to the STAR Office.

The STAR Office will also have a Quick Response Center, which will be the President's direct arm in coordinating concerned agencies to respond to critical incidents, crises, and disasters.

The EO also specified that the OCS would remain in the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board Executive Committee as well as the inter-agency committees, Investment Coordinating Committee (ICC), Social Development Committee (SDC), and Infrastructure Committee (InfraCom).

Duterte previously signed Executive Order No. 1 on July 4, putting 12 national government agencies under the supervision of the OCS including:

• Cooperative Development Authority
• Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council
• National Anti-Poverty Commission
• National Commission on Indigenous Peoples
• National Commission on Muslim Filipinos
• National Food Authority
• National Youth Commission
• Office of the President - Presidential Action Center
• Philippine Commission on Women
• Philippine Coconut Authority
• Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor
• Technical Education Skills Development Authority

Duterte appointed Evasco as HUDCC chair after the resignation of Vice President Leni Robredo. —ALG, GMA News