From l-r: Makabayan bloc Reps. Luz Ilagan, Neri Colmenares, Teddy Casino, Antonio Tinio, Rafael Mariano, Emmi de Jesus, Raymond Palatino withdraw support for FOI Bill. Casino withdraws coauthorship.
MANILA, Philippines – With limited time threatening to jeopardize the Freedom of Information Bill, the proposed measure is facing even bigger trouble now with the withdrawal Monday of support by seven militant partylist legislators.
Opposing what they felt was an FOI version that leaned more towards the Executive Branch rather than the people, Bayan Muna Representatives Teddy Casino and Neri Colmenares, Anakpawis Representative Rafael Mariano, Gabriela Representatives Luzviminda Ilagan and Emmi de Jesus, ACT Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio and Kabataan Representative Raymond Palatino said they would withdraw the Makabayan bloc’s backing for the measure in the afternoon, when the House resumes session for the first time after its long holiday break.
For Casino, this meant he would also withdraw his co-authorship of the FOI Bill.
This was decided with only nine days left before the 15th Congress adjourns once more on February 9 for the midterm polls.
Casino said authors “can withdraw and bring back their authorship at any time. Alam na ito ng fellow authors namin (Fellow authors already knew this).”
“It is their right to do so. They have their own version that they are pushing. I respect their decision,” said Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III, the bill’s main proponent.
The Makabayan bloc said it was unsatisfied with the version set to be tackled at plenary, saying it had too many exceptions and leaned more towards what the Malacañang wanted the measure to look like.
Mariano cited Section 7A of the House version, saying that the provision allowed the Executive department to classify secret information through an Executive Order.
This was a questionable provision to Tinio who said that while the FOI originally sought to open up government documents to the public, the portion of the bill is institutionalizing to make information secret instead of making it transparent.
“The FOI Bill has to serve its purpose. With the Malacañang exceptions, ang magagawa lang nitong FOI ay (what can be done only by this FOI is a) repetition of what is already there,” said Casino.
“If it will not enhance transparency, why pass a law? Why go through all the trouble?” he asked, urging advocates of the bill to scrutinize the version to be introduced during session on Tuesday.