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| Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo |
MANILA, June 2, 2012—A Catholic bishop has
lauded the Senate Committee on Public Information for sponsoring a
committee report consolidating the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill,
and challenged the House of Representatives to do the same.
“This action was something commendable, it means that the issue of
the FOI bill has improved in the Senate,” Manila Auxiliary Bishop
Broderick Pabillo said during the General Assembly of the Kilusang 99%
at the CBCP compound in Intramuros, May 31.
On May 29, the Senate Committee on Public Information headed by
Senator Gregorio B. Honasan II has submitted the FOI bill to the plenary
for deliberations.
“I hope that the House of Representative will also initiate the
approval of FOI’s bill,” added Pabillo, who is also Chairman of the
National Secretariat for Social Action – Justice and Peace of the
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (NASSA-CBCP) and
convener of “Kilusang 99%”.
Pabillo said the FOI bill will help resolve the issue of alleged
“lack of transparency” among government officials as was the case of the
ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona.
The controversial bill, however, did not pass during the 14th Congress due to lack of interest among members of Congress.
Kilusang 99%, a social reform movement consists of more than 80
member organizations and some well-known individuals also commended the
initiative of the Senate to push the passage of information bill.
“In behalf of the K99 movement, we praised the Senate Committee on
Public Information for keeping intact a progressive, pro-people FOI
bill,” said Ambrosio ‘Bong’ Palad, Philippine Airlines Employees'
Association (PALEA) National Secretary and K99 Movement Co-Convenor.
Member organizations of the K99 movement are hoping the FOI could
help lessen the corruption in the country, Palad said in an interview.
Meanwhile, the coalition “Right to Know. Right Now!” urged Eastern
Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, Chairman of the House Committee on Public
Information, to resolve the remaining issues on FOI and submit the
committee report for plenary action.
Pabillo, together with the group, also called on House Speaker
Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte Jr. to stand on the side of the people and
include the passage of the FOI bill in the congress.
“We are challenging the House of the Representatives to do their
part. If we really want this transparency, approved the FOI bill,”
Pabillo said. [Yen Ocampo]
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