Group urges public to help campaign for FOI's passage

CEBU, Philippines – The Access to Information Network (ATIN) and the Right to Know, Right Now Coalition yesterday urged Cebuanos to help push for the passage into law of the Freedom of Information bill during the 15th Congress.

Lawyer Nepomuceno Malaluan, the group's lead convenor, believes the people have the ability to influence their representatives to the Congress to push for the approval of the proposed measure because they are their constituents.

With intensive campaign and the help of the public, he is optimistic that the FOI act would be made into law.

Malaluan said he was glad he was able to face the Cebu media to be able to share with them what the bill is all about. He added it is also one way of informing them and the Cebuanos the status of the bill.

He was among the guest speakers in yesterday's forum, entitled, "Your Right to Know: The Power of Citizens in the Freedom of Information Act," organized in line with the celebration of the 16th Press Freedom Week.

The forum served as an eye opener not just for the media people in Cebu but also to the ordinary citizens who learned they have the right to access public documents.

In the same forum, Marites Vitug, editor-in-chief of Newsbreak and author of the controversial book, "Shadow of Doubt: Probing the Supreme Court," said access to information in the country is not yet institutionalized and the public is not that privileged to access it.

"It is not hard for us in the media to talk to public officials with their quotable statements but what is hard is to verify what they have been said through documents," she added.

There is a need to access the information from the government because the public has the right to know, Vitug emphasized.

In response, Visayas Ombudsman Pelagio Apostol, said their office is very willing to give information and documents if the public and the people in the media need them. In fact, he said he is very thankful to the media people for they are also play a part in eradicating corruptions and anomalies in the government.

"Media is a good partner of the office of the ombudsman in fighting corruptions," he added.

Apostol also stressed that if the documents needed does not involve controversial cases, he is very willing to let the media access them.

He added he wants to ease the gap between the Office of the Ombudsman and the media.

Meanwhile, Cebu City south district Rep. Tomas Osmeña expressed support for the passage of the FOI but added he could not say if it would be passed during the 15th Congress as he has not yet read and examined the provisions of the bill.

"I believe in the freedom of information because the public has the right to access information," he said. If it doesn't entails national security then the public has the right to know because the government should not keep secrets," he added. (FREEMAN)