Senate approves FOI bill on 2nd reading

(Updated 9:32 p.m.) The Senate on Tuesday evening approved its version of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill, a landmark piece of legislation that will lift the shroud of secrecy over government transactions and data, on second reading. The bill, known as the People's Ownership of Government Information (POGI) under Senate Bill 3208, was approved on second reading after the Senate closed the period of amendments earlier in the day. No senator objected to its passage. In an interview with GMA News Online, the bill's sponsor Senator Gregorio Honasan said this is proof of the support the measure enjoys in the Senate. Twenty-two senators had also earlier signed Honasan's committee report on the measure which he presented to the chamber last June. Honasan said he expects the Senate to pass the bill on third and final reading next week. A measure can only be passed on third reading three days after it has been approved on second reading. The Senate only holds plenary sessions from Mondays to Wednesdays. It will take a holiday break after next week. "We are hoping the House will also pass the measure next week," he said, although noting the House of Representatives has its own "considerations" before passing the bill. "[Basta] in the Senate it's off the ground already," he added. Among the major amendments accepted by Honasan as chair of the Senate committee on public information and mass media is the removal of the provision requiring each government agency to regularly public, print and disseminate the statements of assets, liabilities and networth (SALN) of all government officials. He said he accepted the amendment, which was proposed by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, because there it will be difficult to do this with 1.3 million government officials in the country. However, Honasan refused to accept Santiago's amendment to provisions referring to the FOI bill as “people’s ownership.” “In giving our citizens the sense of ownership of information, we hope it leads to a realization both in the part of citizens and government goes beyond privilege. It serves as a reminder to everyone, less some people in government forgets, that sovereignty  resides in the people and public office is a public trust,” he said. Only Santiago proposed amendments to the bill. Earlier, Honasan urged the Senate to prioritize the FOI bill over another controversial measure—the reproductive health (RH) bill. He said the FOI bill should be prioritized because it will "radically change the bureaucratic landscape" in the country.   "Transparency [ang] involved dito. Automatic na pagpapaalam ng pamahalaan sa mamamayan kung ano ang ginagawa niya," he said. — KBK/BM, GMA News