The Freedom of Information (FoI) bill was on its death throes yesterday as its main proponents withdrew support to what they called the “Malacañang FoI bill” while a multisectoral group pushing for its passage is already blaming the House leadership for what it anticipated as another failure of the lower chamber to enact the bill.    
The Right to Know, Right Now Coalition accused Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and Majority Floor Leader Neptali Gonzalez III of command negligence on the likely death of the bill in the current Congress.
Belmonte and Gonzalez should be held accountable after Congress again failed to tackle the FoI, said the group whose members walked out of the House yesterday after the FoI was not included in the House agenda yesterday.
In a statement released to the media after coalition members walked out of the Congress session, the coalition said it was holding the House leadership primarily responsible if the FoI again fails to make it through the legislative mill.
Coalition lead convenor Nepomuceno Malaluan said there was more than enough time for Congress to tackle the bill if only the House leadership committed itself to exercise true transparency and accountability.  Malaluan said even without an outright endorsement by President Aquino of the bill, the chamber was well within its rights to mark the bill as urgent.
Malaluan said that so far, Congress has only exhibited a clear “pattern of delays” that betrays the true position of Congress when it comes to transparency.
The Makabayan bloc in Congress yesterday announced their withdrawal of authorship from the Freedom of Information substitute bill, pending the deletion or amendment of “Malacañang-sponsored provisions” that restrict, rathers than facilitates, public access to information.
Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño, a principal author of the bill, explained in a press conference that while the bloc supports the public clamor for the passage of an FoI bill, “we feel that the substitute bill, because of the weight of the restrictions, does not anymore reflect our vision of a genuine Freedom of Information Bill.”
He said they would push for amendments in plenary and will duly co-author the measure again if and when the exceptions are deleted or substantially amended. “What we need is a genuine FoI bill, not a watered-down version,” he said.
Casiño specifically pointed out the provision that institutionalizes the President’s “executive privilege” allowing him to withold certain records of minutes and advice given to him as privileged “by reason of the sensitivity of the subject matter.” 
Meanwhile, ACT Teacher Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio complained that exempting any information pertaining to national security, including law enforcement is too broad. 
“That covers all activities involving the police,” he said, adding that under present jurisprudence, information pertaining to law enforcement is not covered by restrictions to information.”
“Further, discretion and power to deem documents confidential is given to a large number of people. Under the substitute bill, the determination if whether a document will be exempted from the FoI Act shall be the responsibility of ‘the head of office of the government agency in custody or control of the information, or any responsible central or field officers duly designated by him,’” Tinio said
Anakpawis Party-list Rep. Rafael Mariano also questioned the inclusion of drafts of orders, resolutions, decisions and memoranda among the exempted documents when these are crucial in public consultations, especially the formulation of implementing rules and regulations. The three-term congressman cited situations where stakeholders may be prohibited from exercising their right of information because of the said exception.
Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Luz Ilagan said, “With the FoI bill, it should be easier for us to get pertinent information from the government. However, this version will only negate the process.”
Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus also said the group will push for a progressive version of the bill, similar to that of their original filed bill.
Meanwhile, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino dubbed the substitute bill “Freedom of Exemption.” “The amendments had distorted the bill. 
The House leadership, however, committed to open deliberations on the bill today with House committee on public information chairman Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone and the bill’s principal author, Deputy Speaker Quezon Rep. Erin Tañada expected to deliver their sponsorship speeches.
Belmonte himself assured the House would start deliberation on the measure today and would try to pass it before Congress goes on recess on Feb. 7.
“The FOI is pending solely in the House and it will put on the agenda tomorrow (Tuesday), it is not in the agenda now. But tomorrow (Tuesday) morning there will be a meeting of the rules committee and they will vote to put it on the agenda and in the afternoon it can be sponsored,” Said Belmonte.
To ensure quorum, Belmonte said he instructed the House secretariat to go on text brigade and ask all House members to attend today’s session.
The FoI bill, the implementing measure on the right of the people to information on matters of public concern and the state policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest, has been met with stiff opposition from even within the House members.
Evardone said he expects a lengthy debate on the measure as a number of lawmakers have lined up for interpolation and for proposed amendments.
Congressmen Pedro Romualdo and Rodolfo Antonino want to interpolate and propose amendments, Congresswoman Lani Mercado want sto raise some points and I myself want to propose some amendments,” said Evardone.
Romualdo and Antonino, both oppositors to the bill, want to insert a Right of Reply provision in the measure.
Nonetheless, Evardone expressed optimism the bill would be approved despite having only eight session days remaining before Congress goes on recess.
Supporters of the measure are also asking their colleagues to attend the remaining session days to ensure the passage of the bill.
Rep. Mitos Magsaysay also urged her fellow lawmakers to attend the remaining sessions of Congress to focus on the important bills that need their attention.
“If we have nothing to hide, we have nothing to fear,” she said.
Citizens Battle Against Corruption (Cibac) party-list Reps. Sherwin Tugna for his part, asked colleagues to “not to allow the FoI to die in the 15th Congress.”
“This very important piece of legislation needs to be passed now,” he said.  “I do not care if I sound like a broken record when I discuss the importance of the FoI bill. The FoI is the missing piece in the government’s drive against corruption. It is a vital component of a mature democracy.”
Various groupd from different sectors had pressed for the passage of Freedom of information bill before the 15th Congress closed.
In a manifesto signed by 108 leaders representing diffrent sectors it urge Speaker Belmonte to act fast  in passing the FoI bill before the forthcoming election in May 2013.  
“The leaders of the House have two choices: Kill the FOI bill by extended inaction, as their counterparts did in the 14th Congress, or act with dispatch and muster the political will to bring to light a law that will empower citizens to participate directly in the drive for good governance and against corruption,” the groups’ statement read.
“As things stand, the FOI bill is just a few steps away from passing into law.  It would be most unfortunate if, by sheer inaction of the House, the citizens will again be denied a legislation that is truly crucial to solidifying and institutionalizing governance reforms. The pending bill in the House, without the right-of-reply rider, is already a balanced bill. It adopts fully Malacañang’s inputs addressing the President’s concerns, and enjoys wide support from stakeholders. From page 1

said there was more than enough time for Congress to tackle the bill if only the House leadership committed itself to exercise true transparency and accountability.  Malaluan said even without an outright endorsement by President Aquino of the bill, the chamber was well within its rights to mark the bill as urgent.
Malaluan said that so far, Congress has only exhibited a clear “pattern of delays” that betrays the true position of Congress when it comes to transparency.
The Makabayan bloc in Congress yesterday announced their withdrawal of authorship from the Freedom of Information substitute bill, pending the deletion or amendment of “Malacañang-sponsored provisions” that restrict, rathers than facilitates, public access to information.
Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño, a principal author of the bill, explained in a press conference that while the bloc supports the public clamor for the passage of an FoI bill, “we feel that the substitute bill, because of the weight of the restrictions, does not anymore reflect our vision of a genuine Freedom of Information Bill.”
He said they would push for amendments in plenary and will duly co-author the measure again if and when the exceptions are deleted or substantially amended. “What we need is a genuine FoI bill, not a watered-down version,” he said.
Casiño specifically pointed out the provision that institutionalizes the President’s “executive privilege” allowing him to withold certain records of minutes and advice given to him as privileged “by reason of the sensitivity of the subject matter.” 
Meanwhile, ACT Teacher Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio complained that exempting any information pertaining to national security, including law enforcement is too broad. 
“That covers all activities involving the police,” he said, adding that under present jurisprudence, information pertaining to law enforcement is not covered by restrictions to information.”
“Further, discretion and power to deem documents confidential is given to a large number of people. Under the substitute bill, the determination if whether a document will be exempted from the FoI Act shall be the responsibility of ‘the head of office of the government agency in custody or control of the information, or any responsible central or field officers duly designated by him,’” Tinio said
Anakpawis Party-list Rep. Rafael Mariano also questioned the inclusion of drafts of orders, resolutions, decisions and memoranda among the exempted documents when these are crucial in public consultations, especially the formulation of implementing rules and regulations. The three-term congressman cited situations where stakeholders may be prohibited from exercising their right of information because of the said exception.
Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Luz Ilagan said, “With the FoI bill, it should be easier for us to get pertinent information from the government. However, this version will only negate the process.”
Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus also said the group will push for a progressive version of the bill, similar to that of their original filed bill.
Meanwhile, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino dubbed the substitute bill “Freedom of Exemption.” “The amendments had distorted the bill. 
The House leadership, however, committed to open deliberations on the bill today with House committee on public information chairman Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone and the bill’s principal author, Deputy Speaker Quezon Rep. Erin Tañada expected to deliver their sponsorship speeches.
Belmonte himself assured the House would start deliberation on the measure today and would try to pass it before Congress goes on recess on Feb. 7.
“The FOI is pending solely in the House and it will put on the agenda tomorrow (Tuesday), it is not in the agenda now. But tomorrow (Tuesday) morning there will be a meeting of the rules committee and they will vote to put it on the agenda and in the afternoon it can be sponsored,” Said Belmonte.
To ensure quorum, Belmonte said he instructed the House secretariat to go on text brigade and ask all House members to attend today’s session.
The FoI bill, the implementing measure on the right of the people to information on matters of public concern and the state policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest, has been met with stiff opposition from even within the House members.
Evardone said he expects a lengthy debate on the measure as a number of lawmakers have lined up for interpolation and for proposed amendments.
Congressmen Pedro Romualdo and Rodolfo Antonino want to interpolate and propose amendments, Congresswoman Lani Mercado want sto raise some points and I myself want to propose some amendments,” said Evardone.
Romualdo and Antonino, both oppositors to the bill, want to insert a Right of Reply provision in the measure.
Nonetheless, Evardone expressed optimism the bill would be approved despite having only eight session days remaining before Congress goes on recess.
Supporters of the measure are also asking their colleagues to attend the remaining session days to ensure the passage of the bill.
Rep. Mitos Magsaysay also urged her fellow lawmakers to attend the remaining sessions of Congress to focus on the important bills that need their attention.
“If we have nothing to hide, we have nothing to fear,” she said.
Citizens Battle Against Corruption (Cibac) party-list Reps. Sherwin Tugna for his part, asked colleagues to “not to allow the FoI to die in the 15th Congress.”
“This very important piece of legislation needs to be passed now,” he said.  “I do not care if I sound like a broken record when I discuss the importance of the FoI bill. The FoI is the missing piece in the government’s drive against corruption. It is a vital component of a mature democracy.”
Various groupd from different sectors had pressed for the passage of Freedom of information bill before the 15th Congress closed.
In a manifesto signed by 108 leaders representing diffrent sectors it urge Speaker Belmonte to act fast  in passing the FoI bill before the forthcoming election in May 2013.  
“The leaders of the House have two choices: Kill the FOI bill by extended inaction, as their counterparts did in the 14th Congress, or act with dispatch and muster the political will to bring to light a law that will empower citizens to participate directly in the drive for good governance and against corruption,” the groups’ statement read.
“As things stand, the FOI bill is just a few steps away from passing into law.  It would be most unfortunate if, by sheer inaction of the House, the citizens will again be denied a legislation that is truly crucial to solidifying and institutionalizing governance reforms. The pending bill in the House, without the right-of-reply rider, is already a balanced bill. It adopts fully Malacañang’s inputs addressing the President’s concerns, and enjoys wide support from stakeholders. Pat S. Santos

Source:http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/nation/item/9481-comelec-overseas-voters-have-full-month-to-cast-votes