MANILA, Philippines – The Senate has unanimously approved on third and final reading a measure that would give very Filipino access to all government information.
Seventeen senators on Monday voted to pass Senate Bill 3208 known as “An Act Fortifying The People’s Right Of Ownership Over Information Held By The People’s Government. No one objected.
The 17 senators were: Senators Edgardo Angara, Joker Arroyo, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Franklin Drilon, Francis “Chiz’ Escudero, Jose “Jinggoy” Esrada, Gringo Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Vicente “Tito’ Sotto III, Manny Villar and Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile.
The bill provides that “every Filipino citizen has a right to and shall, on request, be given access to any record under the control of a government agency.”
It covers all branches, departments, and instrumentalities of government, including all local government units, collectively referred to as government agencies defined under Section 4 of this Act.