Enrile welcomes PNoy push for FOI bill, but says ‘devil is in the details’
Saturday, 04 February 2012 00:00
CAGAYAN Rep. Jack Enrile welcomed recent pronouncements that President Benigno Simeon Aquino III has ordered Malacañang officials to "push ahead" with the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill, as he urged copies of the Palace version of the bill be disseminated to allow the public to examine its substance. Enrile said that with the President's explicit instruction for Palace officials to prioritize the FOI bill, the discussions can now focus on the provisions contained in the Palace draft of the measure.
"We welcome the news that the President will push for the FOI bill...but the devil is in the details, so the sooner they release the draft the better, so that people can appreciate the accountability and transparency mechanisms contained in the draft," he said. When passed, the FOI bill is expected to compel government agencies to make available all public records to all interested individuals or groups.
An FOI bill passed the bicameral conference committee during the 14th Congress but the House of Representatives subsequently failed to ratify the measure due to lack of quorum. Enrile has been pushing for the inclusion of a mechanism in the FOI bill that will allow the public to comment on policy proposals before they are approved and adopted by government, saying this will institutionalize public feedback on public policy.
The lawmaker has argued that it is not enough to mandate all government agencies to make available all public records to all interested individuals or groups but, more importantly, the law must allow public voice to be heard in debates on major government policies. "By institutionalizing public feedback on major policies, we will be promoting a culture of citizen participation in governance," he said.
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