Sen. Grace Poe. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—What use does a Freedom of Information Act have if the government records requested for under it have been destroyed by flood or fire?
Sen. Grace Poe, the sponsor in the Senate of the proposed FOI bill, has formally asked the national government and the Supreme Court to study the creation and storage of electronic backup files of the bureaucracy’s documents and court records “to avoid loss and destruction in times of natural calamities and catastrophes.”
Poe filed Senate Resolution No. 413 on Dec. 10, a month after government offices in the Eastern Visayas were left in ruins by Supertyphoon “Yolanda,” and just before the Senate moved closer to passing yet another version of the FOI bill before Congress went on holiday recess.
“[Typhoon Yolanda] ravaged the province of Leyte, destroying almost everything standing along its path, including government offices and courts,” Poe wrote in the resolution.
“Important government and court records and files were among those destroyed, leaving government dealings and transactions on hold, and litigants and court officials in abeyance in adjudicating legal controversies,” she added.
Poe said that while the Registry of Deeds in Leyte remained intact after Yolanda hit, “a significant number of survey plans in the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) office were destroyed.”
Though studies are being made for more efficient ways to prepare for the safety of people’s lives during natural disasters, no such plans are made for preserving the integrity of structures or offices, she said.
Poe said government records and files should have backup electronic copies and a central repository to avoid the loss and destruction of important documents.
“[It] is urged that the national government and all its agencies and instrumentalities undertake a study for the backing up and storing of electronic copies of government records and files,” the resolution said.
It suggests that the Supreme Court undertake a similar study for the storage and the production of electronic copies of court and case records for all courts nationwide.
Senate President Franklin Drilon said the Senate is expected to pass its version of the FOI bill in March.
The FOI bill seeks to institutionalize transparency measures that will ensure accessibility to the public of government records, particularly those pertaining to funds disbursement.