Noy to FOI advocates: Pressure Congress

MANILA, Philippines - Saying his administration has always been transparent, President Aquino urged advocates of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill to pressure Congress and lobby among lawmakers who have the burden of proving that they want the good governance measure passed.

“If there is an issue, they should go to Congress, not to us because what we gave to them we could turn into reality if they turn it into law,” Aquino told Bombo Radyo in an interview in Malacañang last Wednesday afternoon.

He lamented that his government has always been blamed for the delay in the passage of the FOI bill.

He said the government did not block the FOI bill, but they only told lawmakers the provisions that the administration wants to be included in the law.

Aquino made a turnaround last July when he vowed to pass the proposed FOI bill before he steps down in June 2016, but remained consistent that he is not going to certify the measure as urgent.

“I regret I cannot certify it as urgent because the Constitution requires an emergency, but the assurance I think should be given, at this point in time, that it will be passed before the end of my term,” he promised.

He gave the assurance to Makati Business Club chairman Ramon del Rosario Jr., who served as finance secretary during the presidency of his late mother Corazon Aquino, who wanted to “institutionalize” the purported gains of the Aquino administration.

“I join you, somebody who was frustrated in the search for information previously, especially when I was in the legislature, there is a need for that,” Aquino said in the “Daylight Dialogue: The Good Governance Challenge” held in Malacañang.

Aquino said the executive department has already sent its version of the FOI bill to their allies in Congress for their consideration.

“We have suggested to Congress certain amendments of the proposed measures that we will make it really a doable activity for government,” he added.

Enacting the FOI bill into law was one of the promises Aquino made during his May 2010 presidential campaign. However, he has told journalists there was no more need for such as he has always been transparent.

Last January, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the re-filed FOI bill that remains pending in the Senate will have to fend for itself since Aquino will not certify the measure as urgent.

“The President is very circumspect in the use of his powers to declare a certain bill urgent. He wants to follow it according to what the Constitution intends an urgent bill to be certified. That’s our guiding principle,” he maintained.

“FOI bill would have to deal (also) with the concerns of the legislative branch. Some legislators have concerns, so those concerns have to be threshed out,” the Palace spokesman added, leaving it all up to Congress to decide the fate of the FOI bill.

Lacierda conceded that while administration critics can describe the move any way they want, the fact remains that the government is “not afraid of any secrets” and has been “very open” on issues that effect the country, like the PDAF and DAP.

“You call it a lame excuse but these are the realities. It (FOI bill) has to go through the legislative mill,” he said. “Realizing… that you want to institutionalize FOI, that is the work of Congress to do so.”

“We have never shied away from disclosing what the public deserves to know,” he insisted. “This is the administration where you saw a number of data coming out: PDAF, DAP, all the national concerns.” – Delon Porcalla, Cecille Suerte Felipe