[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’ EDITORIAL | Right to information’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Monday, May 15, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
WHAT happened to the Freedom of Information (FOI) bills in Congress?
With his issuance of Executive Order (EO) 2 on FOI last year, President Duterte sent a strong go-signal for Congress to enact an FOI law. And considering that FOI has been languishing in Congress for nearly three decades now, legislators should move fast to come up with a harmonized FOI bill. What’s keeping them from doing this?
It should be noted that the EO 2 only covers the agencies and departments under the Executive Branch, and thus cannot cover requests for information under the Legislative and Judicial branches of government, and even independent constitutional commissions. Thus we remain adamant in our call for the passage of a comprehensive FOI law.
The President’s allied lawmakers should vigorously pursue an FOI Law that is founded on legislation and cannot be undone by future administrations, one that will truly reflect the principles of full transparency in government and full accountability of government officials and employees.
A genuine FOI law is a necessary tool in the fight against graft and corruption, as well as other abuses and excesses in the government. There should be no repeat to a watered-down and diluted FOI version that the previous Aquino administration pushed in the previous Congress but, fortunately enough, failed to pass into law.
The right to information is a constitutionally protected right under Article III, Section 7 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court even upheld the enforceability of this right. However, its effective implementation has, for the past two decades, suffered from the lack of the necessary substantive and procedural details that only Congress can provide.
We have to ensure that this system of transparency will be institutionalized and exercised by all government offices — national and local, executive, legislative and the judiciary — and in succeeding administrations.
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
