Malacañang: FOI still a priority bill

(Wikipedia photo)

MANILA – Following President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s sixth and last State of the Nation Address (SONA), the Malacañang clarified that the omission of the proposed freedom of information (FOI) bill in the said speech did not necessarily mean that it was not a priority.

In fact, the FOI bill has been included in the administration’s list of proposed priority measures to the Congress. Right now, it is up to the lawmakers to deliberate and pass the said bill.

“Kaisa ng mamamayan ang pamahalaan sa pagtataguyod ng open, transparent and accountable government,” Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a press conference.

(The administration is one with the people in pushing for an open, transparent and accountable government.)

“Ayon kay Speaker Feliciano Belmonte sa kanyang talumpati sa pagbubukas ng sesyon ng Kamara kahapon, kasama na sa listahan ng priority agenda ng Kamara ang panukalang FOI. Nauna pa rito, kasama ang FOI sa priority legislation na isinumite ng Ehekutibo sa liderato ng Kongreso,” Coloma added.

(According to Speaker Feliciano Belmonte in his speech at the opening session of the Congress yesterday, the FOI bill is part of the list of priority agenda of the Congress. Prior to this, the FOI is one of the priority legislations submitted by the Executive [department] to the leader of the Congress.)

Aside from prioritizing the FOI bill, Coloma pointed out that Aquino’s desire for greater transparency in government data is proven by his efforts in promoting transparency in the bureaucracy, citing the creation of the citizen’s charter, disclosing budget disbursements online, and providing information on public services in government websites, among other efforts.

“Sa kahuli-hulihan, ang importante naman po ay ‘yung kongkretong aksyon at hindi lamang kung ano ang mga sinasabi sa talumpati,” Coloma said.

(In the end, what’s important is the concrete action and not just what’s said in a speech.)

Coloma then reassured the public that the President has not abandoned the FOI bill.

Meanwhile, Kabataan party-list Representative Terry Ridon did not believe that Aquino was indeed supportive of the pro-transparency bill because he himself had some issues to hide, including his involvement with the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) controversy.

“The President is scared of the FOI because of the skeletons in the closet of this administration,” he said in a different press conference.

Aside from the FOI bill, Ridon also questioned why Aquino did not mention and report in his SONA the Mamasapano clash and the progress of the rehabilitation in Yolanda-stricken communities.