Demand, don’t wait for FOI bill

Amid the gloom caused by the Zamboanga City crisis and the pork barrel scandal, there is some light offered by newbie Sen. Grace Poe who assured the passage of the long-awaited Freedom of Information (FOI) bill by the end of the year.

If she can provide the momentum, it would be good news indeed not only for Philippine media but for every freedom-loving citizen, who have become vigilant, thanks to the series of exposes on pork barrel corruption and the way the country’s officials have been running the country.

We have basis to be cautious about rejoicing though.

Palace officials declared anew their support for the FOI bill (as they have done before as rhetoric) but said they don’t consider it a priority measure for Congress, which has slyly sidelined the bill for two sessions.

Then there are the legislators in the Senate backyard, whom Poe innocently trusts will set aside differences and their own personal agenda to fast track the passage of an honest-to-goodness FOI bill all the way to the President’s desk by end of the year.

We’ve seen Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, who is caught in the middle of the pork barrel scandal, who introduced a Magna Carta for the Journalists in the wild hope that government can accredit the working press at the expense of their independence.

It was the July expose of the Philippine Daily Inquirer on the pork barrel controversy that has given impetus and a new sense of urgency for the public to demand the passage of the FOI bill.

The Aquino administration can thank Benhur Luy, who spilled the beans, and online whistle-blowers, who showed the world the brazen display of dubious wealth made by Janet Lim-Napoles’ daughter Jeane in social media sites.

Collectively, this information provided the foundation for the Aquino administration to go after legislators who abused their pork barrel allotments to enrich themselves.

Which is all the more reason for the government to pass the FOI bill so the public can demand transparency in all government transactions and records.

We thank Senator Poe for her good intentions but we can only take her assurance at face value, which is that a deadline is set for the FOI bill’s passage.

Like the fate of the pork barrel, it falls on an indignant, vigilant citizenry to demand – not just rely on government promises – for real reforms .