House to tackle FOI bill March 13

Deputy speaker and Quezon Representative Lorenzo Tañada III. INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives will discuss the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill on March 13, a House leader said Thursday.

Deputy speaker and Quezon Representative Lorenzo Tañada III said the bill would be tackled in a hearing with the committee on public information and that he was likely to “skip [his] duties in the impeachment court just to shepherd the bill into the committee.”

The impeachment proceedings on Chief Justice Renato Corona will resume March 12.

Despite the lawmakers’ hectic schedules, Tañada said that they would most likely work on the FOI Bill before recess. Should there be no objections, Tañada said he would ask his colleagues to vote and submit the bill to the plenary.

The FOI Bill requires government officials, whether they be from the executive, legislative or judicial branches, to declare their statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) public by posting them on their agencies’ websites. Irregularities in the SALNs may be reported to the Ombudsman for investigation.