Swift passage of FOI bill, a priority under Binay administration

Vice President Jejomar Binay has vowed to make the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill a priority should he become the country's next president.

 

But while Binay backs the principle of giving media greater access to documents related to the government and public officials, he said he wants the measure passed by Congress to have provisions that will make journalists accountable.

 

“Ako suportado po ako diyan. Isa ho sa uunahin ko malabas yan,” Binay told GMA News anchor Mike Enriquez in an interview.

 

“Ang gusto ko lamang hong makita ay yun naman hong may accountability, may accountability yung mga nasa media and whatever. Kailangan namang may accountability,” he added.

 

Asked if he is amenable to having Congress under a Binay presidency pass a diluted version of the FOI bill, Binay reiterated his belief on the importance of having provisions on accountability in the measure.

 

“Basta pag tama kasi ang concept, tama po ang intensyon eh, yun hong transparency, so wala ng lasa yun maganda ho yun tsaka lang ho wala naman hong maglagay…we use the word freedom there… yung freedom may kasama ho yang accountability,” he said.

 

President Benigno Aquino III made the passage of the FOI bill one of his campaign promises before he was elected into office in 2010. However, the measure has yet to hurdle Congress until now.

 

In the same interview, Binay expressed support for lowering income tax rates. He disputed the government’s argument that its revenues would be adversely affected if taxes are cut as he called the current system where taxpayers earning P500,000 and higher are taxed 32 percent as “unfair.”

 

“1 percent nga lang ho sa budget yung P32 billion [na mawawala sa gobyerno] eh trillion ang ating national budget,” he said.

 

“Yung compensating revenue hindi naman zero nga. Tataas ang kikitain nung pagkakagastusan mo [so] subject to tax yun,” Binay added.

 

If there’s one proposal the Vice President is not keen on approving, it would be the suggestion to bring back the death penalty.

 

“Unang una buhay ho ng tao yan, dapat po yan eh mamatay natural death hindi ho dapat execution,” he said.

 

Binay said he believes there are more ways to solve the crime problem in the country apart from executing criminals. — APG, GMA News