SALNs to be posted on official sites once FOI bill is passed — solon

The full details of public officials' Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth will be available on official websites once the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill is enacted into law, a lawmaker said on Monday.

"Kasama," House Committee on Public Information chair Bernadette Herrera-Dy told reporters when asked if the mandatory disclosure of SALN is included in the FOI bill.

At a press conference, Herrera-Dy said the full details of officials' SALNs will be posted on the website of the institution they belong to.

"'Yun 'yung nakalagay doon sa bill as of the moment," she said.

Herrera-Dy added that the institution where the government official belongs should upload the SALN itself, not the official himself or herself.

In July 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte signed an executive order on freedom of information. This, however, covers only the executive branch of the government.

Herrera-Dy stressed the need to institutionalize freedom of information.

"Kasi ang executive order madaling palitan every time a new president comes in. And that is only for the executive offices of the country," she said.

The lawmaker is hoping that her colleagues at the House of Representatives may start discussing the bill as soon as the budget deliberations are over.

"Ang target natin hopefully as far as right now, the bill is already in the committee on appropriations but we are all busy with the budget so we can hardly have committee hearings. Hopefully, while we transmit the budget already to the Senate, the target is September 21, hopefully, after that, we could start discussing this, although in between," Herrera-Dy said.

"Ako hopeful lang ako kasi in between the priority agenda and the priority measures of the House. So, sana by next year we could start discussing this already," she added.

If enacted, the consolidated proposals for Freedom of Information will fast-track the requests for information on public officials.

The government, however, may disallow or prohibit disclosure of information on the following grounds:

• If it could cause serious damage to national security and our country’s internal and/or external defense;
• If it could unduly weaken our country’s bargaining position in international negotiations or seriously jeopardize diplomatic relations with other countries;
• If it could compromise law enforcement operations and endanger the life of an individual;
• If it is obtained by Congress in executive session;
• If it is within the executive privilege;
• If consists of drafts of the following: orders, resolutions, decisions, memos or audit reports by any executive, administrative, regulatory, constitutional, judicial or quasi-judicial body in exercise of their adjudicatory or audit function;
• If it is a trade secret; and
• If the information requested would constitute an unwarranted invasion of an individual’s right to privacy.

Herrera-Dy said these exemptions are not entirely different from those already stated in the executive order.

"Meron bang major difference? Parang wala namang major difference, but it’s just settled in this one. We want to institutionalize it, hindi lang siya executive order. So, it’s like reflecting also what the EO contained," she said. — BM, GMA News