Rallying support for FOI bill

EDITORIAL

With series of exposes on corruption from local government units to those involving senators and congressmen, it is a point of contention why the Freedom of Information Bill is not yet being enacted to curb abuses of government officials.

It is a welcome development that even government officials are now urging the public to come out and show their support for the passage of the FOI bill to institutionalize transparency and accountability in government.

Ifugao Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat led sign-on activity in Ifugao and Baguio to rally support for the FOI bill as part of the nationwide sign-on campaign on July 1 to bring home the point that the FOI will benefit all citizens who are one in the fight against graft and corruption.

“Critics of FOI say there's no public clamor for the law. Now is the chance for us to prove that most Filipinos want a law on transparency. All sectors should take part because the FOI bill will benefit everybody. If there is less graft and corruption then there will be more funds for vital social services such as health, education and infrastructure,” said Baguilat, one of advocates of the FOI bill in the House of Representatives.

According to Baguilat, many other countries have their own law in place as their citizens realize that such law is important to make government officials accountable for public money.

The FOI bill seeks to make it easier for the public to access public documents, especially those related to bidding of government projects as well as the allocation of government spending. This way, there will be greater transparency in government affairs and the way that taxpayers’ money is being spent.

The bill has to be passed to contribute to the continuing campaign for greater transparency and accountability in government.

Baguilat was confident that with Congress working on just one version of the FOI bill, it would not be long before the FOI bill is finally passed by the House of Representatives.

The FOI bill was passed by the Senate in the last Congress and current Senate Committee on Information Committee chair Grace Poe had already signified her commitment to again pass an FOI bill under her watch.