PNoy on FOI bill: Push ahead

MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III directed his communications group to "push ahead" with the much-delayed Freedom of Information bill, a Palace official announced today.

In a press briefing at Malacanang, Communications Group Undersecretary Manolo Quezon said the President has no immediate opposition on the draft of the FOI.

"His only intervention was the removal of the proposed Information Commission, which will (just) add another layer of bureaucracy," Quezon said quoting the President.

"The President marching order (to us) is to push ahead with the FOI bill," he said.

But the Palace official cannot directly confirmed whether Aquino will certify the measure as among the priority legislations of his administration.

Quezon said the FOI study group will now review the draft of the bill, before turning it over to the House of Representatives. Last year, the House failed to ratify the Freedom of Information bill due to lack of quorum and protests from congressmen.

He added that the 15th Congress wanted the passage of the controversial measure as its major achievement.

"An important aspect of this bill is it makes mandatory the disclosure of a lot of info. The overall emphasis of the law is the citizenry have a right to information."