House meeting on FOI bill suspended thrice over technicality

Capiz Representative Fredenil Castro. Photo from https://www.congress.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines – The technical working group (TWG) meeting on the freedom of information (FOI) bill has been suspended thrice over a mere technicality on the procedure.

Capiz Representative Fredenil Castro, who is also vice chairman of the public information committee, pointed out that the 22 versions of the FOI have to be consolidated first before a TWG is formed.

“It seems we’re putting the cart ahead of the horse,” he said.

The committee met for the first time in October 2013 to form a TWG to consolidate the 22 bills. But Castro was not present during that time.

He said it should be the committee’s job to consolidate the bills and not the TWG.

After three suspensions of the meeting, Castro finally conceded to retain to a TWG meeting.

The bill has been languishing in the committee level as the TWG meeting was delayed twice since the committee met for the first time under the 16th Congress.

The freedom of information bill was killed in the previous Congress as the lower chamber failed to meet a quorum before it convened for a break.

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