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| Bishop Broderick Pabillo |
The bill, if it becomes law, will force government
agencies to disclose information on public interest transactions, documents and
records.
The prelate said its passage and the enforcement of
its proposed measures will be “a great service to the people.”
He said it will empower the poor with a new tool of
information that “will promote social justice by giving the opportunity for
social auditing towards the pursuit of the common good. We join the different
sectors who continue to push for the passage of the FOI Bill.”
Under the measure, compulsory disclosures will be made
by posting documents on government websites for easy access. These documents
must also be made available upon personal request.
Government agencies will be mandated to grant requests
for access to information within 15 days after receiving them.
Vital information will be translated into major
Filipino languages and made easier to comprehend.
Pabillo said President Benigno Aquino and
administration candidates in this year’s mid-term elections will lack
credibility if the FOI Bill is not passed.
The prelate added that even as the president and his
candidates emphasize good governance, accountability and transparency, “this
assertion would indeed lack credibility if the FOI Act remains a pipe dream for
us Filipinos.”
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