FOI limbo déjà vu

By Cong B. Corrales

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION advocates expressed concern over the delay of the submission of the committee report of the House Committee on Public Information to the House Secretary General, Wednesday (May 20) as this will “impact the already narrow window for the passage of the bill.”

“Our support and solidarity to the FOI authors in their desire to advance the bill to plenary remain. However, we express our concern over the delay of the submission because every delay impacts the already narrow window for passing the bill,” Right to Know, Right Now! (R2KRN) Coalition convenor Nepomuceno Malaluan told the PCIJ, Wednesday.

“If FOI is to advance within the timetable, it cannot be just one of the numerous priorities but must take the highest level of import,” Right to Know, Right Now! Coalition convenor Nepomuceno Malaluan. Photo taken during the Light Up for FOI candle-lighting rally in front of the House of Representatives in September, 2013 | PCIJ File Photo

The PCIJ is a member organization of the R2KRN! Coalition.

While waiting for the supposed schedule of the submission of the committee report, Malaluan received word from the office of Rep. Jorge Almonte that they have decided to reset the submission of the committee report.

“It was originally scheduled to be submitted at 3:30pm, Wednesday (May 20), (but) there was anticipation that the BBL (Bangsamoro Basic Law) final vote would not be finished by that time and some of the FOI authors and the (House committee on public information) Chair (Jorge Almonte) are members of the Ad Hoc Committee of the BBL,” Malaluan said.

Had the FOI committee report been submitted as scheduled, Malaluan said, the campaign for the passage of the bill would have shifted from the committee level to the plenary process.

The FOI committee report consolidates 24 FOI bills including the one filed through Indirect Initiatives by the R2KRN coalition. The Committee on Public Information approved the consolidated version on November 24, 2014 and the Committee on Appropriations approved its appropriation provision on March 4, this year.

From the time the Technical Working Group (TWG) for the bill was constituted on November 26, 2013, it has taken nine meetings before the proposed consolidated bill was presented to the Committee on Public Information for deliberation.

“The postponement of the filing to give way to BBL, shows the importance of a measure being given the highest priority by the administration and by the leaders of Congress,” said Malaluan.

“If FOI is to advance within the timetable, it cannot be just one of the numerous priorities but must take the highest level of import.”

The FOI Bill has been in the legislative wringer for the past 28 years—since it was first filed in the 8th Congress.