Malacanang expressed hope that the proposed substitute Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill will be approved soon by the present Congress, according to a Palace official.
Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) said the Aquino administration hopes that the legislators will pass it in the second regular session of the 15th Congress.
“I think it would be fair to assume that this ought to be, should be, and will be one of the crowning achievements of the 15th Congress,” Quezon said in a press conference in Malacanang on Friday in response to a question profounded by reporters about the time line of the passage of the bill.
Quezon said that the heading of Budget Secretary Florencio Abad’s letter for the House Speaker as well as the members of the lower house indicates the urgency of its passage. Abad was designated by the President, together with other Palace officials, to draft the substitute legislative measure.
Asked by reporters if the administration is open to flexibilities to change the proposal, Quezon said members of Congress could still improve it.
“Sa aming pananaw napalakas namin ang bill na ito, naging mas malinaw at mas matibay ang mga garantiya ng mga karapatan para sa tao,” Quezon said.
Compared to other measures that are still pending in Congress, Quezon said one of the differences is the organization of the law. He noted that the Aquino administration believes that broad and large categories of government information should be made accessible to the public.
The President disclosed on Thursday that a substitute FOI bill was forwarded to the administration allies at the lower house.
The Chief Executive also mentioned that the passage of the bill must be a legacy of his administration because of its continuing defense and assurance to the public of the transparency of government documents, records and information.
Quezon said the President believes that the reforms in government particularly its transparency to the people must remain a policy of any government.
During the 14th Congress, the House of Representatives failed to ratify the FOI bill due to lack of quorum and protests from congressmen, although the Senate ratified a similar measure in the bicameral conference committee.
Once passed, the FOI bill would allow the public to obtain records of government transactions, meetings and other businesses, a right enshrined in the Constitution. It will also provide definite procedure in dealing with requests for information and seeks to penalize officials denying access to information.
President Aquino vowed to support the passage of the bill during the 2010 presidential campaign.
(www.president.gov.ph)
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