House body OKs consolidated FOI bill

MANILA, Philippines - The Freedom of Information (FOI) bill finally moved closer to being put to a vote in the House committee on public information after a technical working group (TWG) approved a consolidated version of the landmark measure, which continues to suffer from lack of support from Malacañang.

The consolidated FOI bill, which came from more than 20 FOI bills filed in the House, will be elevated to the committee for approval by its members before it can be referred to the plenary for debates.

“It (consolidation) is a big step but there’s still no reason to celebrate because we still have to hurdle the committee and then the plenary,” said Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo, an author of the FOI bill.

The consolidated FOI bill defines information as “data that have been processed into a record, document, paper, report, letter, contract, minutes and transcripts of official meetings, maps, books, photographs, data, research materials, in whatever form, or films, sound and video recordings, magnetic or other tapes, electronic data, in whatever format, which are made, received or kept in or under the control and custody of any government agency pursuant to law, executive order, rules and regulations, ordinance or in connection with the performance or transaction of official business by any government agency.”

It includes a provision on open data system, where transactions of government agencies and offices can be seen online, to obviate the need for citizens to make requests for information.

The bill also made mandatory the publication of the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth of public officials.

But the measure lists at least nine exceptions, including “information specifically kept secret through an executive order, such as that directly related to national security or defense, and that pertaining to the foreign affairs of the country whose revelation will unduly weaken the negotiating position of the government or jeopardize diplomatic relations.”

Castelo gave credit to other authors whom he said “have compromised some of their principles to allow us to come up with a consolidated bill.”

But he maintained that “the essential elements of a good FOI bill are present.”

Almonte has yet to set hearing date

Despite the consolidation, committee chairman and Misamis Occidental Rep. Jorge Almonte has yet to set a date for the next hearing of the panel even as the Senate has passed its own version of the FOI bill earlier this year.

Transparency and anti-corruption advocates earlier said that Almonte appears to be exerting efforts to delay the landmark measure upon orders of Malacañang.

They said the Aquino administration was deliberately delaying the passage of the FOI bill until 2016, so that it would not be covered by it.

But Almonte told a news conference yesterday that he just wanted to make sure the consolidated version of the FOI bill was “well-crafted.”

“We have to emphasize that the FOI bill must be well crafted, with the aim that it will not be struck down or rendered inutile by a ruling of the Supreme Court, that’s why it’s crucial to thoroughly discuss its provisions,” Almonte explained.

“We have meticulously deliberated on the pivotal issues, including the exceptions to the FOI measure,” he added. – With Artemio Dumlao