FOI Bill Gets Real Momentum, Pero Totoong Laban Nasa Final Stretch Pa
After sitting in political limbo for decades, the Freedom of Information push in the Philippines is finally showing real movement in Congress under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration.
Rappler reported that a House substitute bill has already cleared committee level, while the Senate’s People’s FOI Act passed second reading before lawmakers went on a two-month break. The measure remains one of the country’s longest-running reform battles, with past versions repeatedly stalling before becoming law.
Supporters say an actual FOI law matters because executive orders are limited. Duterte’s earlier FOI order only covered the executive branch and left agencies with broad exceptions that could be used to deny sensitive requests, including access to some government records.
The House version would create a Right to Information Commission and require agencies to answer requests within a few days for regular cases, with longer timelines for complicated documents. The Senate version is seen as stronger on some transparency points, especially its clearer requirement for top officials to publicly disclose their SALNs every year.
Even with the progress, hindi pa tapos ang laban. Once Congress returns, the bill still has to survive plenary debates, further votes, and a potentially difficult bicameral reconciliation process before anyone can say the Philippines finally has a working FOI law.
Source: Rappler
