‘Hang me’ if FOI bill not passed in 16th Congress, Belmonte jokes

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Speaker Feliciano Belmonte on Tuesday said he should be hanged if the freedom of information (FOI) bill fails to pass the House of Representatives in the 16th Congress.

Belmonte made the statement in jest as he reaffirmed his promise that the House would pass the FOI bill under his term.

The lower house has been under pressure after the Senate on Monday approved its own version of the bill that seeks to promote transparency and accountability in government.

“Hang me if this Congress ends without passing the FOI bill,” Belmonte told reporters in Filipino at a press briefing before laughing.

(Bitayin ninyo ako kung matapos ito at hindi pa nakakapasa.)

Belmonte said the lower chamber has not finished consolidating the different versions of the bill filed at the lower house, adding that it is still at the technical working group level.

But he said his leadership is not ignoring the FOI bill.

“I promised that it will be passed during our term of office, which is the 16th Congress, so we are working on it,” Belmonte said.

Malacañang, meanwhile, on Tuesday said it will not rush the approval of the FOI bill.

In the lower chamber, a technical working group was still discussing section 7 of the bill which lists the exemptions from full disclosure of information. The sub-committee has only finished six of the total 29 sections as it goes on Lenten break starting March 15. It will resume session on May 5.

The FOI bill has been languishing in the lower chamber.

Under the 15th Congress, the FOI bill reached the plenary, but was not mentioned before it adjourned for the break.

Meanwhile, under the 14th Congress, the bill was not passed as the House failed to meet a quorum.– With reports from Isa Avendano/Inquirer Radio