An official of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Monday expressed the agency’s all-out support for the passage into law of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill.
Senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Sonny Angara, and Grace Poe, and Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva have filed separation versions of the proposal.
“ We want to expand this that’s why in the activities of FOI Project Manage Office of) PCO, we partner not only with the national line agencies, but also with the local government units,” PCO Undersecretary Cherbett Karen Maralit told senators during a public hearing.
The PCO currently implements the FOI Project mandated under Executive Order No. 2 issued by former president Rodrigo Duterte in 2016. Under the program, the PCO is continuing its FOI campaign to add more to the 65 local government units (LGUs) which had already passed FOI local ordinances, according to Maralit.
The FOI bill covers all branches of government, constitutional bodies, LGUs, government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), government instrumentalities, government corporate entities, non-chartered GOCCs, and state universities and colleges.
Under the FOI, the public has the right to get details of statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth of government officials, public interest transactions, documents or records such as budget expenditures, bidding contracts, procurement plans, debts, and contracts worth P50 million and up. The FOI measure does not cover confidential details pertaining to national security or defense, law enforcement, foreign affairs, presidential communications privilege, and information in executive sessions of Congress.
