Congressmen urged to ratify Freedom of Information bill

Media practitioners and leaders of various civic groups have asked the House of Representatives to ratify as soon as session resumes on May 31 a measure that sets a policy of transparency by guaranteeing access to data held by the state. In a letter on Monday, the Right to Know, Right Now! Campaign network asked House Speaker Prospero Nograles to prioritize the endorsement of the Freedom of Information bill when Congress resumes session for the canvassing of votes in the May 10 elections. Among the more than 100 who signed the letter were Malou Mangahas of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, Alberto Lim of the Makati Business Club, Luis Teodoro of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, Dean Antonio La Viña of the Ateneo School of Government, Sonny Fernandez of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, and Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello. The Senate ratified the reconciled version of the measure on February 1, but the House failed to do so for lack of quorum on the last day of the session on February 3. Lawmakers are on a recess for the electoral campaign period. (See: Freedom of Info bill left untouched as House adjourns session) The bill mandates government offices to make available for public scrutiny all information on official acts, transactions or decisions, as well as statistics on policy development. Information may be obtained through a request submitted to the concerned agency either personally, through mail or other electronic means. In their letter, civic leaders said the House should have prioritized the measure on the floor because Rule 10, Section 61 of the chamber's rules states that “the consideration of conference committee reports shall always be in order, except when the journal is being read, while the roll is being called, or the House is [voting] on any question." "When session resumes on May 31, the rule giving privileged status to bicameral conference committee reports in the consideration of business remains applicable to the Freedom of Information [bill]," the groups said in their letter. "With the political will of our elected representatives and with the trust we reposed on your leadership, the Freedom of Information [bill] can be ratified and transmitted immediately to the President for enactment into law." If the House fails to ratify the measure before the 14th Congress ends on June 30, a similar measure will have to again go through the tedious legislative process in the 15th Congress. As of posting time, Nograles had not replied to GMANews.TV's question on whether the House will prioritize the measure when session resumes. Under the measure, the stated reason or failure to state the reason for an information request may not be used as a ground to deny the request, unless it is illegal. Documents that might endanger national security, documents on ongoing military or police operations, and other information that fall under other exemptions provided under the Constitution are excluded from the bill’s coverage. Draft decisions in judicial proceedings or documents that are part of negotiations in diplomacy or international relations are also exempted. Government officials or employees who violate the proposed law may face a jail term of one to six months. — LBG/NPA, GMANews.TV