Aquino makes Ochoa anti-organized crime czar

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III has designated Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr., as head of a reorganized presidential anti-crime body.

Executive Order No. 46, signed by both Aquino and Ochoa on June 13, reorganizes the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and assigns Ochoa to head the body, which includes the secretaries of the interior, justice, national defense and foreign affairs, the national security adviser, the Armed Forces chief of staff, the PNP director-general, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency director general, the National Bureau of Investigation director and the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime executive director.

Among the powers and functions of the commission is to conduct intelligence and counter-intelligence operations to identify government officials and employees, crime syndicates and their cohorts, who are involved in criminal activities.

The offenses covered by the commission are those committed by organized crime and syndicated groups, including but not limited to drug trafficking, human trafficking, car theft, gun-running, robbery, kidnap for ransom, smuggling and transnational crimes.

It shall also take cognizance of heinous crimes.