Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) is a government agency tasked to combat organized crime in the Philippines.

Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission

Seal
Agency overview
Formed	July 7, 1992 (1992-07-07) (as PACC) July 22, 1998 (1998-07-22) (as PAOCC)
Jurisdiction	Philippines
Headquarters	Camp Crame, Quezon City, Metro Manila
Agency executive	Benjamin Acorda Jr., Executive director
Parent agency	Office of the President of the Philippines
Key document	Executive Order No. 3, s. 1992 Executive Order No. 46, s. 2011

History

President Fidel V. Ramos issued Executive Order (EO) No. 3 on July 7, 1992 creating the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PAAC).^[1][2] It was made when the proliferation of kidnapping-for-ransom crime is viewed as a national public concern. Ramos appointed Vice President Joseph Estrada as the inaugural head of the commission.^[3]

Estrada, shortly after succeeding Ramos as President, issued EO No. 8 on July 22, 1998 which abolished the PAAC and created the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF). Panfilo Lacson was appointed to head both agencies.^[2][4]

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on April 16, 2001, issued EO No. 10 abolishing PAOTCTF.^[2][5] The PAOCC was retained.^[5]

The PAOCC underwent another reorganization on June 13, 2011 when EO No. 46 was issued by President Benigno Aquino III.^[6]

The PAOCC was granted permission by the courts to seize and close the Baofu POGO compound in Bamban, Tarlac.

PAOCC tackled the proliferation of illegal operations by Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) or offshore gambling hubs in the 2020s.^{[7][8][9][10]} This led to the full ban of POGOs and the arrest of Bamban mayor Alice Guo.^[11]

Executive directors

Name	Term		Ref.
	Start	End
Gilbert Cruz	January 2023	October 2025	[12][13]
Benjamin Acorda Jr.	October 15, 2025	incumbent	[12]