MANILA, Philippines – Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo called on lawmakers yesterday to fast-track approval of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill.
Pabillo, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-National Secretariat for Social Action Justice and Peace (CBCP-Nassa), said an FOI law could have prevented large-scale corruption particularly during the previous administration.
Pabillo’s call came after the discovery of almost P1 billion in unliquidated travel expenses of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her entourage from 2009 to 2010. Arroyo is now a Pampanga congresswoman.
Pabillo said the discovery of the unliquidated cash advances should convince President Aquino to support the immediate passage of the FOI bill.
“This would be our problem if there is no transparency. If there is no transparency, this would have been kept hidden (from the public),”he said.
The Senate finance committee said the unliquidated funds included P594 million spent on foreign and local travels in 2009 alone based on a report from the Commission on Audit (COA).
In a committee hearing, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa said that Malacañang found an additional P367.3 million in cash advances for travel released in year 2010 which remained unliquidated as of Aug. 31, this year. –Evelyn Macairan (The Philippine Star)
March –
IT’S WOMEN’S MONTH!
“Respect and support women
every day of the year/s!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the recommendations of the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry
against serious violations of protocols of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association.
Accept the National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands
#Report Corruption #SearchPosts #TakePicturesVideos
Monthly Observances:
Women’s Role in History Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 1: Environmental Week;
Women’s Week
Week 3: Philippine Industry and “
Made-in-the-Philippines Products Week
Last Week: Protection and Gender-Fair Treatment
of the Girl Child Week
Daily Observances:
March 8: Women’s Rights and
International Peace Day;
National Women’s Day
March 4: Employee Appreciation Day
March 15: World Consumer Rights Day
March 18: Global Recycling Day
March 21: International Day for the Elimination
of Racial Discrimination
March 23: International Day for the Right to the Truth
Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations
and for the Dignity of Victims
March 25: International Day of Remembrance of the
Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
March 27: Earth Hour
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