Palace renews call for Congress to pass FOI bill

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Friday renewed its call for Congress to pass a Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill, one of the campaign promises of President Rodrigo Duterte that has yet to be fulfilled.

In his speech during the FOI Awards in Makati on Thursday, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar cited the need to pass an FOI law to push for transparency in the government.

“Freedom of Information… must be implemented across the bureaucracy: the executive, legislature, judiciary, including the local government units. I still remain hopeful that our lawmakers will finally heed the call of the FOI-Project Management Office, the Civil Society Organizations, and the people, and pass the FOI Law,” Andanar said.

“While the state wields immense power entrusted to it by the people, the exercise of said power can be placed under the lens of strict scrutiny through transparency, through the freedom of information,” he added.

The Palace official said 18,036 requests lodged on the eFOI portal this 2019 had a 47 percent success rate.

Sen. Grace Poe, an FOI advocate, filed Senate Bill No. 121 or the “People’s Freedom of Information Act of 2019” and urged her colleagues in the 18th Congress to support her and give the bill “one big push.”

Cebu 1st District Rep. Raul del Mar has already filed an FOI bill in the House this 18th Congress through House Bill No. 12.

In the absence of an FOI law,  Duterte issued Executive Order  No. 2 in July 23, 2016, which laid down a policy of full public disclosure and transparency in public service to promote accountability, and set the guidelines for requesting and releasing information from offices under the executive branch.

The EO, however, does not cover the legislature, judiciary and even local government units (LGUs), although it encourages them to observe the order.

In an earlier text message to INQUIRER.net Communications Assistant Secretary and FOI executive director Kris Ablan hopes Congress would “swiftly” pass an FOI bill.

“We are optimistic about the passage of the FOI Law in the 18th Congress,” Ablan said.

In his budget message to Congress in 2016, the President touted the FOI bill, saying: “It’s Congress’ turn to immediately pass the long overdue FOI law so that the people’s right to information will be honored across all branches and levels of the government.”