FOI measure No. 18 in Palace’s 26 priority bills

MANILA, Philippines–He might have omitted it in his State of the Nation Address (Sona), but President Aquino has included the freedom of information (FOI) bill in the list of priority measures he wants Congress to pass within his final two years in office.

The FOI bill, which would mandate the disclosure of public records, is priority No. 18 on the list of at least 26 “priority measures.” Topping the list is the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), based on the memorandum that Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. sent to Speaker Feliciano Belmonte.

Malacañang on Wednesday released copies of the May 30 memorandum, including a three-page attachment elaborating on the contributions of at least 26 measures to specific areas of governance.

“These are legislative bills that intend to achieve inclusive growth,” Ochoa wrote.

“More particularly, they are projected to result in a high, sustained and broad-based economic growth that generates mass employment and draws the majority of the people into the economic and social mainstream, reduce poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals.”

Aquino cited at least six measures in his Sona, including the uniformed personnel pension reform bill, supplemental budget for 2014, national budget bill and a joint resolution to clarify certain “definitions and concepts” in the Supreme Court decision against his Disbursement Acceleration Program.

Support for FOI

The President also mentioned the need to extend the notices of coverage for land distribution.

Lawmakers, at the prodding of Speaker Belmonte, on Wednesday expressed support for the passage of the FOI bill.

In his speech at the opening of Congress’ second regular session on Monday, hours before the Sona, the Speaker pushed for the passage of an FOI law in the spirit of Section 7, Article 3 of the Constitution recognizing the right of the people to information on matters of public concern.

“We must craft a viable FOI law to promote greater transparency and strengthen accountability in government, without unduly restricting the latitude of options for government action in the delivery of services to the public and in responding expeditiously to the needs of our people,” Belmonte said.

Responding to Belmonte’s call, a number of members of the House of Representatives expressed support for the FOI bill.

The Senate has passed its version of the FOI bill but it remains pending in the House.

A big chance

In a statement, House Deputy Speaker Giorgidi Aggabao said that with the Speaker himself making a special pitch, there was now “a big chance” the FOI bill would pass this session.

Pampanga Rep. Oscar Rodriguez, chair of the committee on good government and public accountability, also welcomed the Speaker’s commitment to prioritize the FOI bill.

Rodriguez said he filed the first FOI bill in the eighth Congress because of his experience with the military then.

Abakada Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz, a member of the minority bloc, said it was high time the FOI bill was enacted into law.

“The FOI is one law which should have been passed a long time ago and should have been one of the priorities under this administration of daang matuwid (straight path),” De la Cruz said.

Parañaque Rep. Gus Tambunting, author of one of the FOI bills, thanked the Speaker for his support for the FOI bill in his opening speech. “As a major proponent of this bill, I really hope we can make this a law before the end of the year,” he said.

He said public officials as public servants were endowed with power but have the responsibility to be accountable at all times to the people whom they owe their very own title and position.

BBL draft

The Palace has yet to submit a draft of the BBL, more than two months since the original deadline had lapsed. Both the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front panels were still trying to settle disagreements over certain items in the draft prepared by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission.

Acknowledging the delay, the President, in his Sona, sought Congress’ “understanding,” saying “it is important to scrutinize each provision we lay down.”

The target is to pass the BBL within the year to eventually pave the way for the creation of a new autonomous region in Mindanao.

Other priority measures

Also high on the Palace list was the proposed Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act. A version filed by Senate President Franklin Drilon seeks to include a “Tax Expenditure Account in the annual national budget to reflect the amount of tax incentives granted to private individuals and corporations to foster transparency in the present system of granting tax incentives.”

Aquino’s priority bills included those seeking to amend the build-operate-transfer law, cabotage law, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas charter, Human Security Act, Ombudsman Act and the Anti-Enforced Disappearance Act.

Other list of priorities

The President also sought amendments to the law facilitating the “acquisition of right-of-way, site or location for national government infrastructure projects.”

He also wanted to remove “investment restrictions in specific laws cited in the Foreign Investment Negative List.”

Other measures on the President’s list of priorities were proposals for a competition law, whistle-blowers act, revision of the criminal code, delineation of the Philippine maritime zone, act instituting reforms in land administration, national land use act, delineation of specific forest limits of public domain and the water sector reform act.

Also deemed priority legislation were a civil service reform bill, a proposed magna carta of the poor, a proposed act protecting the rights of internally displaced persons and a strategic trade management bill.