Executive Order No. 45 (2011)

Designation of Competition Authority

SECTION 1.

Designation of Competition Authority. The DOJ is hereby designated as the Competition Authority with the following duties and responsibilities:

a. Investigate all cases involving violations of competition laws and prosecute violators to prevent, restrain and punish monopolization, cartels and combinations in restraint of trade;

b. Enforce competition policies and laws to protect consumers from abusive, fraudulent, or harmful corrupt business practices;

c. Supervise competition in markets by ensuring that prohibitions and requirements of competition laws are adhered to, and to this end, call on other government agencies and/or entities for submission of reports and provision for assistance;

d. Monitor and implement measures to promote transparency and accountability in markets;

e. Prepare, publish and disseminate studies and reports on competition to inform and guide the industry and consumers; and

f. Promote international cooperation and strengthen Philippine trade relations with other countries, economies, and institutions in trade agreements.

Office for Competition

SECTION 2.

Office for Competition. There is hereby created the Office for Competition under the Office of the Secretary of Justice to carry out the duties and responsibilities set forth in Section 1. The Office shall be manned by such number of staff including legal and technical experts, consultants and resource persons to effectively and efficiently pursue its mandate. The Secretary of Justice shall designate the Chief/Head and members of the said Office.

Funding

SECTION 3.

Funding. To carry out the provisions of this Order, initial funds for the operations of the Office for Competition shall be taken from the available funds of the DOJ. Thereafter, such amount as may be deemed necessary for the annual operations of said Office, shall be incorporated and included in the annual budgetary appropriations of the DOJ.

Separability Clause

SECTION 4.

Separability Clause. If any provision of this Executive Order is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid and subsisting.

Repealing Clause

SECTION 5.

Repealing Clause. All orders, rules, regulations, and issuances, or part thereof, which are inconsistent with this Executive Order, are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

Effectivity

SECTION 6.

Effectivity. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately upon publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

DONE, in the City of Manila, this 9th day of June, in the year of our Lord, Two Thousand Eleven.

(Sgd.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III

By the President:

(Sgd.) PAQUITO N. OCHOA, JR. Executive Secretary