Historic step: Citizens, CSOs
filing ‘People’s FOI Bill’ today

TODAY, the first day in the life of the 16th Congress, citizens and civil society groups of the Right to Know, Right Now! Coalition take a first step in history — they are filing the People’s Freedom of Information Bill at the House of Representatives.

The bill, signed and endorsed by at least 18 major organizations of government employees, unionized workers, families of migrant workers, youth and students, women, journalists and media workers, and civil society advocates, is a petition for Indirect Initiative that is allowed under Section 3 (b) and Section 11 of Republic Act 6735, or “The Initiative and Referendum Act”.

Copies of the petition and the People’s FOI Bill may be downloaded here:

The People’s FOI Bill – 16th Congress

Petition – Indirect Initiative on FOI

FOI Youth Initiative (FYI) Network Members
       

Atty. Nepomuceno Malaluan, lead convenor of the Right to Know Coalition, Right Now! Coalition, and the petitioners have lined up at the House of Representatives since last Friday, June 29, to be among the first filers of proposed legislation in the House of Representatives.

The Coalition members are No. 26th — but the only citizens’ group — in the queue of eager early filers of bills in the House. All the others in line are lawmakers or staff personnel of lawmakers.

Through their authorized leaders and representatives, the following organizations (known collectively in the bill as the Right to Know, Right Know! Coalition) signed and subscribed to the People’s FOI Bill:

1. PUBLIC SERVICES LABOR INDEPENDENT CONFEDERATION (PSLINK)

2. PHILIPPINE RURAL RECONSTRUCTION MOVEMENT (PRRM)

3. NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES (NUJP)

4. FOI YOUTH INITIATIVE (FYI)

5. ALLIANCE OF PROGRESSIVE LABOR (APL)

6. CAUCUS OF DEVELOPMENT NGO NETWORKS (CODE-NGO)

7. SOCIALWATCH PHILIPPINES

8. FOCUS ON THE GLOBAL SOUTH – PHILIPPINES

9. TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY NETWORK (TAN)

10. PEACE WOMEN PARTNERS

11. PHILIPPINE AIRLINES EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION (PALEA)

12. PRUDENTIALIFE WARRIORS PILIPINAS

13. FILIPINO MIGRANT WORKERS GROUP (FMWG)

14. AKSYONG KABAYANIHAN PARA SA ORGANISADONG PAGBABAGO (ANGKOP)

15.CENTER FOR MEDIA FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY (CMFR)

16. ANG KAPATIRAN PARTY

17. ACTION FOR ECONOMIC REFORMS (AER)

18. PHILIPPINE CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM (PCIJ)

The People’s FOI Bill Petition was also endorsed by the following concerned citizens: Lorenzo R. Tanada III; Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo, DD; Ana Maria R. Nemenzo; Arthur A. Aguila; Jerome Patrick D. Cruz; and Leah Zorina E. Aguila.

Tanada was the House deputy majority leader in the 15th Congress who had championed he FOI bill over the years.

The Right to Know Coalition will also file a similar People’ FOI Bill and petition for indirect initiative with the Senate in the coming days.