Belmonte: FOI bill will be passed under my watch

House Speaker Sonny Belmonte Jr  on Thursday evening assured the public a freedom of information (FOI) law will be passed during his term, even as he cautioned advocates against pressuring him on what to do.

“You rely on me. Huwag niyo [advocates] akong dinidiktahan. I manage to get things done," he said before reporters at a gathering for his birthday.

While he promised that a version of the FOI bill will be passed under his term, he refused to give a clear-cut answer when asked whether the House version would not watered down.

"What I can commit in my term, magkakaroon kayo ng FOI, basta yung version na makakalusot," he said.

The FOI, which assures citizens easy access to public documents, has been languishing in the committee level at the House.

In contrast, the Senate was able to pass it's own version after only two committee hearings.

Several hitches have stopped the house committee on public information from coming together to discuss the bill, including the lack of membership and the lack available room for the meetings.

The House is also currently preoccupied with the proposed 2014 budget.

Belmonte is offering his offices for the committee to use. He also assured the public the committee membership is slowly but surely being completed, with 27 out of 35 members named so far. — LBG, GMA News