Aquino urged: Certify Freedom of Information bill as urgent

MANILA, Philippines – Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano called on President Aquino to consider the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act as the first bill his administration will certify as urgent, saying a big part of the fight against corruption would be won if the proposal is passed into law.

Cayetano was present during Thursday’s hearing on the 12 Senate bills on freedom of information presided by public information and mass media committee chair Sen. Gregorio Honasan.

At the hearing, officials of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipianas, National Press Club, Transparency and Accountability Network, Civil Service Commission, Department of National Defense, and the Presidential Communications Operations Office all agreed that the measure should be passed.

Cayetano told reporters in a briefing that President Aquino, unlike the previous administration, has nothing to fear about the law.

“I still believe that President Aquino wants transparency and accountability,” he said. “Magiging deterrent ito. Kung mayro’n sa gobyerno na nagbabalak ng masama, mababantayan ng bill na ito.”

Cayetano said he wants a more aggressive stand from Malacañang when it comes to passing the FOI bill, which was not passed in the previous Congress.

In the meantime, while the bill is pending, he suggests that the President come up with an executive order requiring all government agencies to comply with requests for public documents.

“To ensure the success of ‘tuwid na daan,’ we need this,” Cayetano said.

In a statement, Sec. Herminio Coloma Jr. of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, said the Aquino administration believes that an informed citizenry is important for democracy to function properly.

“We affirm that transparency and accountability are twin principles that directly respond to the people’s desire for honest and trustworthy leadership,” he said.

He added, however, that there should be adequate safeguards on the release of information involving national security and foreign relations, citizens’ privacy, the protection of trade secrets, the impartiality of verdicts, and the impartiality of justice.

Coloma also said there is a need to examine the possible impact on the workload of government agencies, which might be deluged with simultaneous requests.

Cayetano said the Senate will form technical working groups to polish the bill, hoping it would be passed by the 15th Congress with Malacañang’s support.

“If there’s one bill that can really define the Aquino administration, it will be this bill,” he said. –Ryan Chua, ABS-CBN News