The House of Representatives is set to hold a caucus this week to determine the fate of the controversial Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill pending before the House committee on public information headed by Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone.
House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said the passage of the FoI was in limbo.
“A caucus is needed to give direction regarding the bill. Its approval still hangs,” said Gonzales referring to the bill which was originally scheduled to be deliberated upon by the public information panel tomorrow, but was deferred to give way to the termination of debates on the Reproductive Health bill.
“The FoI is complicated. There are those who want a right of reply similar to Canada’s. While the purpose of the bill is laudable, are all the media responsible?” he asked.
“I hate to say this, but how do you also protect the officials from this situation? When the media bashes an official for a week, no amount of explanation can save your reputation,” Gonzales explained.
Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello revealed that the measure had the support of a good number of lawmakers.
Bello explained that a signature drive launched by Akbayan, Deputy Speaker and Quezon Rep. Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada and the Right to Know Right Now Coalition showed that 117 congresspersons supported the bill.
“117 members of the 15th Congress signed a manifesto declaring their support for the passage of the Freedom of Information bill,” Bello said.
“All of us are united in the belief that transparency and accountability will only be institutionalized if there is a law that prioritizes the people’s right to unimpeded access to government information,” Bello said.
According to Bello, the signatures belied claims that there is very little support for the measure in the House of Representatives and should serve as the impetus for Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, chairman of the panel, to schedule the vote that will send the measure to plenary.
Evardone said that the cancellation of the Aug. 7 public hearing on the measure was imperative to give way to the termination of deliberation on the RH bill.