Senator disappointed over Palace 'treatment' of FOI bill

Senate Minority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday expressed his disppointment over the Aquino administration's "treatment" of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill — a landmark piece of legislation that aims to lift the shroud of secrecy over government transactions and data. "I'm a bit disappointed with the way the Palace is treating the FOI bill," Cayetano said during a press conference. The FOI bill was not passed during the 14th Congress after the House of Representatives failed to ratify it before session adjourned. In the 15th Congress, 15 bills concerning freedom of information were refiled at the Senate. Last month, Cayetano urged the Aquino administration to certify as urgent the FOI bill. To date, however, Cayetano said the Palace has not yet acted on his request. "Not only has it not been certified as urgent, there’s no real push from Malacanang," he said. "While I can be partly understanding that there’s a lot of opposition to it, this administration promised transparency and accountability and transformation," he added. Cayetano likewise said that there is a need to improve the previously "watered-down" version of the bill during the Arroyo administration. "It’s better than it was before, but still not good enough," he said. He speficially cited restoring provisions of the FOI bill that would allow the public greater access to public data and documents. President Benigno Aquino III had earlier said the FOI bill will be a priority of his administration. [See: Noynoy vows to make FOI bill his administration's priority] Executive Secretary Herminio "Sonny" Coloma, Jr. likewise agreed that transactions imbued with public interest, especially those involving public funds, must be transparent and "beyond any cloud of doubt." He noted, however, that "adequate safeguards" must be placed on the release of information and that they must take into consideration the diluge of requests that might flood governement agencies. "We trust that out legislators will be able to craft a new law that is founded on a broad-based consensus and responsve to the needs of the times," Coloma said in an earlier statement. — RSJ, GMANews.TV