MANILA –Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Jose Ruperto Martin M. Andanar on Tuesday called for the swift passage of Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill to promote enhanced transparency and accountability in the Philippine government.
During the Manila leg of the “Dagyaw 2019: Open Government and Participatory Governance Regional Town Hall Meeting” at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City on July 30, Andanar said if the public really wants to establish a completely open government, Executive Order No. 2, Series of 2016 or the FOI Program implementation in the Executive Branch should be passed and enacted into law.
“If we really want a completely transparent government, Executive Order No. 2 or the FOI Program should not be just an Executive Order, it should be a law, it should be legislated by the Congress to be signed by the President to become a law. The President already did his job. The ball is now in the hands of our congressmen and our senators,” Andanar said.
The Communications chief also encouraged stakeholders to be in partnership with the government in lobbying for the prompt passage of the FOI Bill which was one of the cornerstones of the Duterte administration in fighting corruption.
“I implore our Congress and Senate to make it into law. What can we do as members of civil society, as members of the LGU [local government unit], and different organizations? You must write to your congressmen and senators, and tell them that the FOI should be acted upon right now,” Andanar noted.
On a related note, the FOI Bill made it to the first list of priority measures for the first three regular sessions of the current Congress. This list got the highest number of votes from 14 business groups.
Executive Order No. 2, Series of 2016 or the FOI Program was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on July 23, 2016, days after he assumed office.
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