MALACAñANG on Thursday announced the creation of an ad hoc committee to prepare the guidelines for implementing President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No. 2 institutionalizing Freedom of Information in government agencies by giving the public access to government records.
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea made a ceremonial turn-over to Communications Secretary Martin Andanar of the signed, sealed and stamped EO that mandates the Presidential Communications Office, which he heads, to prepare a manual and guidelines for implementing the EO.
On Wednesday, the Palace expressed its high hopes that the Freedom of Information bill would finally be implemented by the “super majority” in Congress controlled by Duterte.
“There is a super alliance in Congress and I think that they will cooperate with the President for his projects to prosper,” Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said in a television interview.
“It’s much better now that he has made an executive order. He’s saying that I already made the move, now it’s their move now to follow.”
In his first State of the Nation Address on Monday, Duterte challenged Congress to pass a similar law, noting he had already done his part for the Executive branch.
Both leaders of Congress”•Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez”•earlier committed to seeing the FOI bill turned into law.
FOI Advocates like the Right to Know, Right Now Coalition, officials of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas and World Bank representatives are waiting for the passage of the EO, saying it’s a landmark and timely move by President Duterte to get rid of corruption in government bureaucracy.
“The EO is definitely a welcome development in the people’s struggle for our right to access information as enshrined in the Constitution. We challenge Congress to prove itself equally responsive by finally overcoming their resistance to FOI and enact a progressive FOI law,” the Right to Know, Right Now Coalition said in a position paper.
Senator Juan Edgardo Angara and Rep. Carlos T. Zarate have vowed to work for the passage of the FOI.