Poe sees timely passage of info bill

Sen. Grace Poe. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Grace Poe is confident of the timely passage of  the proposed Freedom of Information (FOI) bill in the Senate after it ended the period of debates on the measure early this week.

Poe said the Senate will now start the period of amendments next week before the chamber votes on it on second reading.

“We are hopeful that the FOI will make it to the list of important laws that our citizens can lean on,” Poe, head of the committee on public information, said in a statement on Friday.

The period of debates on the bill was terminated last Tuesday  after Senator Jose ” Jinggoy” Estrada’s interpellation.

Poe said Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago, Juan Ponce Enrile, Alan Peter Cayetano, Koko Pimentel, Loren Legarda, Pia Cayetano, Sonny Angara, Vicente Sotto III, and Senate President Franklin Drilon earlier provided inputs in their interpellation to strengthen the bill.

“Steadfast public support is needed in hurdling challenges to the enactment of the FOI,” Poe stressed.

The senator explained that the enactment of the bill into law will allow every Filipino citizen to request and be granted access to any record or information that is under the control of the government, subject to reasonable exceptions.

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