Senate approves FOI bill

The Senate on Monday approved, on third and final reading, a measure seeking to provide the public with easier access to official government records, documents, and research data.

Voting 22-0, senators passed proposed Senate Bill No. 1432, or the proposed People’s Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.

The measure expands Executive Order No. 2 issued by former President Rodrigo Duterte, which recognizes the people’s right to information.

It covers all three branches of government—the executive, legislative, and judiciary—as well as constitutional bodies and local government units.

Filed on Sept. 30, 2025, SB 1432 was authored by Senators Vicente Sotto III, JV Ejercito, Jinggoy Estrada, Robinhood Padilla, Francis Pangilinan, Erwin Tulfo, Raffy Tulfo, and Joel Villanueva.

Padilla, as chair of the committee on public information and mass media, served as the sponsor during plenary deliberations.

He urged members of the House of Representatives to pass their own version of the FOI bill to ensure its enactment, noting that an earlier effort failed due to the absence of a counterpart measure in the chamber.

Once enacted, the FOI law will also apply to government-owned and controlled corporations, government instrumentalities, and state universities and colleges.

Under the Senate-approved bill, the President, Vice President, Cabinet members, members of Congress, justices of the Supreme Court, officials of constitutional commissions, and Armed Forces officers with general or flag rank will be required to disclose and publish their annual statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALNs) on official websites.

Government agencies will also be mandated to publish transactions, documents, or records involving public interest, including budget expenditures, bidding contracts, procurement plans, debts, and contracts worth P50 million and above.

The measure, however, exempts information classified as confidential by law, particularly those related to national security and defense, law enforcement, foreign affairs, presidential communications privilege, and executive sessions of Congress.

In September 2024, Malacañang urged lawmakers to pass the FOI bill amid public calls for transparency and accountability, particularly in connection with investigations into alleged anomalies in flood control projects.—MCG, GMA News