Freedom of Information measure hurdles House committee

A MEASURE easing access to state information was finally passed yesterday at the committee level in the House of Representatives with congressmen approving a substitute bill without the contentious right of reply (RoR) provision.

"This is a victory for democracy," said Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden F. Bello in a press conference after the hearing.

"The principle of democracy is government for the people, by the people, of the people. You can only do that if you have maximum transparency."

Attempts were made by Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo W. Antonino (4th district) and Occidental Mindoro Rep. Ma. Amelita A. Calimbas-Villarosa to include the RoR in the substitute bill crafted by the technical working group, but the majority opined that this should be tackled in a separate measure. The RoR will ensure that individuals cited in reports will be given the same space in a print material or time in the same radio or TV program within three days.

Mr. Antonino himself filed last year a Freedom of Information (FoI) bill, which included the RoR.

Sought for comment, committee chairman Ben P. Evardone (Eastern Samar), who will sponsor the bill in plenary, vowed to reject a proposed amendment to include the RoR.

"I will not accept it," said Mr. Evardone.

However, the congressmen assured other safeguards will be introduced such as imposing a penalty on media institutions found liable of using information against public morale.

"I will propose it on my own on the floor," he said.

The committee report on the FoI Bill will be submitted to the plenary "next week at the latest," said Mr. Evardone.

For his part, Senator Gregorio B. Honasan II, public information and mass media committee chairman, said he will continue to work on the passage of the Senate’s version of the FoI dubbed as the People’s Ownership of Government Information (POGI) Act of 2012.

"At the Senate, we will continue working with all the members of the chamber to hasten and complete the passage of the People’s Ownership of Government Information Act ," he said in a statement.

Senate Bill No. 3208 or the POGI Act has been pending second reading approval since July. --  

M. J. O. Cantilero with ASOA