Connect with us

Breaking

House leader calls for passage of FOI bill

Published

on

ShutterStock

The FOI bill embodies the two aspects of the right to information as mandated by the 1987 Constitution, namely, full public disclosure and citizens’ access to information.  (ShutterStock photo)

MANILA — The chairman of the House Committee on Public Information is calling for the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill which has been pending with the Committee on Appropriations since last February.

Bagong Henerasyon Partylist Rep.

online pharmacy buy arimidex with best prices today in the USA

Bernadette Herrera-Dy made the call in a press conference at the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

“As Chairman of the Committee on Public Information, I can only urge my colleagues who sit on the Appropriations Committee to expedite the FOI bill at the soonest. It is understandable though that with the ongoing hearings on the 2018 budget that Appropriations is quite busy,” Herrera-Dy said.

Herrera-Dy said the appropriations committee may possibly tackle the budgetary requirements for the FOI bill once the deliberations on the proposed 2018 budget are finished by the latter half of September.

“Perhaps the soonest the Appropriations Committee can pay attention to the FOI bill would be in the last week of September as the House already set September 21 as the target date for the transmission of the approved version of the budget bill to the Senate,” Herrera-Dy said.

The FOI bill embodies the two aspects of the right to information as mandated by the 1987 Constitution, namely, full public disclosure and citizens’ access to information.

The measure reiterates the Constitution’s mandate to disclose the Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth of certain officials.
Public interest documents or records, such as contracts with the private sector and those which are budget-related, are required to be published by government agencies on their websites.

online pharmacy buy cymbalta with best prices today in the USA

The bill also mandates every citizen’s right to ask for and receive information from government, subject only to a limited number of exceptions.

Herrera-Dy said the bill provides that the government may disallow or prohibit disclosure of information, in the following circumstances:
• If it could cause serious damage to national security and our country’s internal and/or external defense;
• If it could unduly weaken our country’s bargaining position in international negotiations or seriously jeopardize diplomatic relations with other countries;
• If it could compromise law enforcement operations and endanger the life of an individual;
• If it is obtained by Congress in executive session;
• If it is within the executive privilege;
• If consists of drafts of the following: orders, resolutions, decisions, memos or audit reports by any executive, administrative, regulatory, constitutional, judicial or quasi-judicial body in exercise of their adjudicatory or audit function;
• If it is a trade secret; and
• If the information requested would constitute an unwarranted invasion of an individual’s right to privacy.

The bill also sets the procedure of requesting for access to information and documents up to appeal in case of denial.

Administrative and criminal liabilities for violation of the right to information will also be put in place through this measure.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Maria in Vancouver

Lifestyle1 day ago

Nobody Wants This…IRL (In Real Life)

Just like everyone else who’s binged on Netflix series, “Nobody Wants This” — a romcom about a newly single rabbi...

Lifestyle1 week ago

Family Estrangement: Why It’s Okay

Family estrangement is the absence of a previously long-standing relationship between family members via emotional or physical distancing to the...

Lifestyle2 months ago

Becoming Your Best Version

By Matter Laurel-Zalko As a woman, I’m constantly evolving. I’m constantly changing towards my better version each year. Actually, I’m...

Lifestyle2 months ago

The True Power of Manifestation

I truly believe in the power of our imagination and that what we believe in our lives is an actual...

Maria in Vancouver3 months ago

DECORATE YOUR HOME 101

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Our home interiors are an insight into our brains and our hearts. It is our own collaboration...

Maria in Vancouver3 months ago

Guide to Planning a Wedding in 2 Months

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Are you recently engaged and find yourself in a bit of a pickle because you and your...

Maria in Vancouver4 months ago

Staying Cool and Stylish this Summer

By Matte Laurel-Zalko I couldn’t agree more when the great late Ella Fitzgerald sang “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.”...

Maria in Vancouver4 months ago

Ageing Gratefully and Joyfully

My 56th trip around the sun is just around the corner! Whew. Wow. Admittedly, I used to be afraid of...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

My Love Affair With Pearls

On March 18, 2023, my article, The Power of Pearls was published. In that article, I wrote about the history...

Maria in Vancouver6 months ago

7 Creative Ways to Propose!

Sometime in April 2022, my significant other gave me a heads up: he will be proposing to me on May...