Information is power

Yesterday, I was at the joint hearing of the Senate committee on public information and mass media chaired by Sen. Gregorio Honasan and the committee on government reorganization chaired by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on the revived freedom of information (FOI) bill in congress.

From what I observed, the FOI bill enjoys strong backing by majority of senators, at least 12 of whom have filed their respective versions of the measure. I went there on instructions from National Press Club (NPC) president Jerry Yap and my mission was to relay the Club’s concerns on the FOI bill.

Honasan was very amiable. At one point during the hearing, the rebel soldier-turned-rebel senator took potshots at my seeming “favoritism” for the “more good-looking” Trillanes after I informed the good senator about the NPC’s meeting with the Magdalo officer. Of course, Honasan was only joking.

But passing the FOI bill is no joking matter. In fact, Honasan and the other senators present agreed that while the measure faces “smooth sailing” in the Senate, its fate in the House of Representatives remains uncertain. For this, the NPC is grateful for the senators’ quick action on the proposal.

An FOI law is indispensable to the exercise of press freedom. The right to information as the Constitution provides has been inoperative because of the lack of an enabling law. Curse those lawmakers who “killed” the measure at the end of the 14th Congress, effectively sending it to the archives.

But thanks to the wisdom of Honasan, Trillanes, Sen. Tito Sotto, Alan Peter Cayetano and others who resuscitated the FOI bill and gave it a new chance at life.


We previously appealed to President Aquino to certify the bill as urgent to signify his administration's resolve to have the measure passed during his watch. It is our desire to cooperate with the present administration to achieve its promise to Filipinos to end corruption. But success cannot be expected if the cooperation is hampered by the lack of a law that will break the chains that lock the secrets of corrupt public officials.

It is necessary to make the media effective in the duty to inform the public on matters of their interest. A success of a journalist depends on how much facts he can write or speak about. Deprive him of the opportunity to look at the sources of information and his report is disappointing that he will fail in his legal, social and moral duty to inform his readers or listeners constituting the public.

To make the proposal fair, a few exemptions are proposed. By exemption means there are instances where a government official or agency can refuse to release requested documents and data. These include the following: records that when exposed may hurt the State or

its position in international negotiations, records that may jeopardize actual

work of the government with respect to rebellion or invasion, records that may

derail ongoing police operations or expose police agents to harm to their

persons and their families, records that are trade and business secrets of

private entities, and records pertaining to private persons.



With all safety nets in place, I strongly believe that there is no more reason to junk or even delay its passage. The framers of the 1987 Constitution have waited long enough for this. The people have long been denied of their constitutional right to pry into government records to find out who steals from our coffers.



People empowerment depends on how informed the people are.