Memorandum Order No. 202, issued on January 31, 2006, by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, expresses concurrence with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) regarding the deputation of various government departments and law enforcement agencies for the February 18, 2006 plebiscite in Tarlac City. The order designates the Department of Education, Department of Public Works and Highways, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, among others, to ensure a free and credible voting process. It mandates cooperation among national and local officials, including the Philippine National Police, to facilitate the plebiscite aimed at ratifying Tarlac City's conversion to a highly urbanized city. The order takes immediate effect.
January 31, 2006
MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 202
EXPRESSING CONCURRENCE IN THE DEPUTATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS, THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND DEPUTIZATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN CONNECTION WITH THE FEBRUARY 18, 2006 PLEBISCITE IN TARLAC CITY
Pursuant to Article IX (C) Section 2(4) of the 1987 Constitution, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Philippines, do hereby concur with Resolution No. 7619 dated 22 December 2005 of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), deputizing, for the exclusive purpose of ensuring free, orderly, honest, peaceful and credible conduct of the February 18, 2006 plebiscite in Tarlac City, the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Public Works and Public Highways (DPWH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), including the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), to ratify the conversion of Tarlac City from a component city to a highly urbanized city.
National and Local officials and employees particularly those from DepEd, DPWH and DILG, law enforcement agencies and other instrumentalities of Government, including the AFP, NAPOLCOM, and the PNP, are hereby directed to coordinate and cooperate with the COMELEC in the performance of their duties and functions.
This Memorandum Order shall take effect immediately.
DONE in the City of Manila, this 31st day of January, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Six.