A group of non-government organizations with representatives from the media and academe is calling for speedy action by the House of Representatives to pass into law the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. The FOI Act provides the much needed substantive and procedural details for the state policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest.
While the Senate and the House of Representatives passed on third reading different versions of the Act on May 2008 and December 2009 respectively, the bicameral conference committee hearings that will consolidate the bills (Senate Bill No. 3308 and House Bill 3732) have not yet been conducted. The Lower House is yet to assign delegates to the said hearing.
The group is appealing to House Speaker Prospero Nograles to assign representatives from the Lower House for the bicameral conference committee hearings and adopt the Senate version. The group supports the recommendations made by Representatives Erin Tañada and Joel Villanueva to adopt the Senate Bill since it addresses the remaining legitimate concerns raised by stakeholders and Senators.
When passed into law, the Freedom of Information Act will make fully operational the Constitutional right of the people to information. After almost 23 years since the ratification of the 1987 Constitution, Congress has not yet addressed the lack of legislation that tolerates government agencies’ violation of the people’s right to information.
The Act when approved shall provide a standard and definite procedure in dealing with requests for information from government agencies. It presents implementing mechanics for disclosure to the public, without need of request from anyone, of government transactions of utmost public interest such as procurement and infrastructure contracts, concession agreements, loans and international agreements.
The Act likewise offers numerous mechanisms for the active promotion of openness in government, such as the introduction of standards for records keeping and the obligation to publish important organizational information of agencies.
Advocates of the Freedom of Information Act believe that this law will empower Filipinos to plant the seeds of strategic and irreversible governance reform in the country. And that only the forces of unaccountable and insatiable governance will stand in the way of its passage.
Thus, the advocates appeal to Speaker Nograles to positively respond to the people’s clamor and leave a lasting legacy in fulfilling the people’s right to know by leading the House in concurring with Senate Bill No. 3308 or at the very least name the representatives to the bicameral conference committee hearings and immediately convene the same.
The 14th Congress resumed session last January 18 and ends on 5 February for the May 2010 elections campaign.
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