Militant legislator slams Aquino information bill

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang’s much-ballyhooed Freedom of Information Bill is nothing but a watered-down version of the FOI measures pending in Congress, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Teddy Casiño said Saturday.

Casiño, principal author of one of the FOI bills filed in the House of Representatives, said the Palace did not offer any new provisions that would strengthen the measure,  which is intended to ensure the public’s right to government information.

He cited for example a provision on the publication of the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) of all public officials that was already provided for in House Bill No. 133 which he authored and filed on the first day of the 15th Congress in July 2010.

Casiño said this provision, along with another on the mandatory posting on the Web sites of government agencies of all documents of public interest and concern, was already included in the FOI bills pending in the House committee on public information chaired by Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone.

“What is really significant in the Palace version is its watering down of the FOI by including a long list of 16 exceptions to the measure to include ‘records of minutes and advice given and opinions expressed during decision-making or policy formulation, invoked by the Chief Executive to be privileged,'” he said.

The lawmaker also said that in the Palace version, information relating to law enforcement and defense had six exceptions, giving police and defense officials very wide leeway in hiding information on violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.

In the House versions, Casiño said, all information should be accessible unless shown in court that it would be used for criminal purposes or for sheer and idle curiosity.

“This (Palace) draft, which Congress waited for  one year and seven months, is a mere rehash of existing bills and in fact a watering down of those bills,” Casiño said.

“Worse, they sent this with so much media hype but nowhere is the FOI bill in the Ledac (Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council) list of priority measures. And this was not even certified as urgent,” he said.