Filtered By: Topstories
News

Noynoy vows to make FOI bill his administration's priority


Presidential frontrunner Sen. Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III said last Sunday that the Freedom of Information bill — a landmark piece of legislation that will lift the shroud of secrecy over government transactions and data — will be a priority of his administration. This was after Congress adjourned sine die last Friday without the bill's ratification by the House of Representatives due to lack of quorum. Asked in an ambush interview if he would prioritize the Freedom of Information bill once he assumes office, Aquino categorically said, “Yes." "Iba pa rin 'yung may force of law (It would be better if there is the force of law). That would be, I think, the more complete route," he said in the interview aired over GMA Network’s “24 Oras" Sunday night. He, however, said his administration would also look into suggestions that an executive order can be issued in lieu of the law. Aquino was referring to the suggestion of Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tañada III, who urged him to issue an executive order for the implementation of certain provisions of the bill. “But that will not take the place of the bill. It will still have to be re-filed," said Tañada, one of the principal sponsors of the Freedom of Information bill, at a press briefing Saturday.


"Shameless betrayal" Catholic bishops, meanwhile, chided Congress for its failure to pass the Freedom of Information bill, which they said could have been a perfect legacy to leave the Filipino people. "The failure of Congress to pass the Freedom of Information bill is a shameless betrayal," said Fr. Edu Gariguez, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-National Secretariat for Social Action. He added that the organization is one with the Filipino people in mourning the lost opportunity to exact more transparency and accountability from the government. Negros media practitioners also condemned the bill’s death, saying the lack of a quorum indicates the lack of interest among legislators to pass the piece of legislation. “If the House can swiftly pass a law like the Expanded Value Added Tax that is disadvantageous to the people, there is no reason why it cannot do the same for the Freedom of Information bill," said Negros Press Club president Julius Mariveles in an article posted Saturday on the Visayan Daily Star. He added the non-passage of the bill would only fuel suspicions that most congressmen, instead of championing and promoting the people’s right to know, are still shielding officials such as outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Public scrutiny of officials like President Arroyo, the congresswoman-elect of Pampanga’s second district, would have been enhanced had the FOI bill become law, he said. Arroyo to blame Authors of the Freedom of Information bill earlier accused the Palace and its allies in Congress of being behind Friday’s lack of quorum. They said it was part of a "grand script" designed to cause the demise of the measure in response to the shelving of the Right of Reply bill. The Right of Reply bill will give politicians the right to have their statements on certain issues published, and to make this a mandatory act on the part of media. “Everything was scripted. It’s nothing but a play.They are a bunch of hypocrites. They are playing with us," said Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante, also a co-author and co-sponsor of the bill. Unfair Malacañang, however, said it is unfair to blame President Arroyo for the failure of Congress to pass the bill, noting that the outgoing administration had been very vocal in its endorsement of the measure's passage from the start. "The recent demise of the FOI bill is a sad commentary on the character of the President's critics, who as usual are blaming her for everything wrong under the sun, short of El Niño and La Niña," said deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar. Another Palace official, deputy presidential spokesman Rogelio Peyuan, said President Arroyo herself was disappointed when the bill was not ratified since she has been endlessly calling for the support of Congress to see its passage. He said critics should stop blaming the President because apart from urging the members of Congress to act on it, the Executive branch could not do anything more lest they be accused of interfering. “We would like to clarify that the Palace is not entirely blaming the House of Representative. We always respect the reasons that they have for not acting on the bill, and the matter of the quorum is beyond the control of Malacañang," Peyuan said. - with Carmela Lapeña/KBK, GMANews.TV
LOADING CONTENT