Palace asks for time to study FOI Bill

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang has asked for more time to study the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill, citing the implications of disclosing raw information to the public as required under the proposal.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said a panel had been formed to study the proposed measure even if it was not included among the priority bills that Malacañang would submit to Congress during the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting later this month.

The other proposals that were not included in the LEDAC meeting were the Responsible Parenthood Bill and the proposed Whistleblowers’ Act.

“In the interim, I don’t think we have been hiding anything. We have not avoided any question that has been thrown our way. So even in the absence of any Freedom of Information Law, we have been trying to be transparent to the utmost level possible,” President Aquino said on Tuesday.

“But, of course, there are times when, especially in a raw state, we cannot discuss (the information) lest we might have apprehensions raised that are not necessary. We’re still fine-tuning exactly how it will be, the details, of this Freedom of Information Bill,” he said.

Valte said “time must be allotted to study” the concerns of the President and the executive branch as a whole as regards the FOI Bill.

She said the Department of Justice has formed a panel to study the restrictions as embodied in the FOI bill.

“And after this the panel will coordinate with the FOI advocates in Congress… So as of the moment, that is what we’re doing,” Valte said.

She said Malacañang could not commit to include the FOI bill among its priority measures for this LEDAC meeting, “but, again, let me just say that this will not be the first and last LEDAC meeting. This is every quarter, every three months so let’s see once the careful study on this is done... Not only on this bill but the others that the President listed as his priority measures,” Valte said.