PNoy pushes FOI bill

MANILA, Philippines – Undersecretary Manolo Quezon announced that the President has given his people the go signal to push for the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act.

In a Malacañang press briefing on Wednesday, January 4, Quezon told reporters that the President has given the go signal to push for the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill.

Prior to this, the President tasked a study group, led by Quezon, to his concerns as well as those raised by various sectors about the proposed Freedom of Information Bill that is currently pending in the House and is beginning to be discussed in the Senate. Results of the study group’s research and various consultations were presented to the President in a meeting early morning of Wednesday.

“The President’s marching orders to us was—and this was his words—to push ahead with Freedom of Information,” Quezon said.

He added, however, that the President had one provision removed from the proposed measure—that which proposed the creation of an Information Commission.

“The reason the President gave was that he felt that it would add another layer of bureaucracy,” Quezon said. – Rappler.com