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The Freedom of Information (FOI) bill was not among the priority measures that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr enumerated during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 25.
“What do we expect from a Marcos? This president has a lot of secrets. We have lower expectations from him,” said University of the Philippines political science professor Maria Ela Atienza.
“The people will have to demand for freedom of information,” she said.
Right to Know, Right Now! (R2KRN) co-convenor Eirene Aguila said they will continue to push the FOI bill in the 19th Congress. “It does not mean it will not happen,” she said.
R2KRN is a network of advocates pushing for the passage of FOI Law and promoting the practice of transparency, accountability and citizen participation in the government.
Aguila said they intend to engage the executive branch of the government and work with Cabinet members to solicit support for the measure.
In the absence of a law, former President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order No. 02 to institutionalize FOI in the executive department.
Duterte’s FOI policy was a mixed bag, however. The Office of the Ombudsman restricted public access to the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), for example. (READ: Duterte’s freedom of information is not so free https://pcij.org/article/8222/draft-dutertes-freedom-of-information-is-not-so-free).
In one of his first acts as president, Marcos placed the FOI program under the direct supervision of the Office of the President. https://pcij.org/blog/3436/office-of-the-president-takes-direct-supervision-of-foi-program)
“It is interesting to reorganize in order to remove bureaucracy, I hope it will streamline information,” she said.
“I’m not totally closing the door. We are still waiting for dialogue to ensure that we go further. I hope we get more attention in this administration,” she said.
Illustration by Luigi Almuena