With the resumption of the session of the 16th Congress, we in the FOI Youth Initiative (FYI) call on our legislators to show sincerity in their vow to cleanse government of corruption and to turn it into an institution worthy of the citizens’ trust.
The Senate is already moving quickly to pass the People’s Freedom of Information Act. The House of Representatives, however, has yet to even refer the bill filed by the Right to Know, Right Now! Coalition to the committee on public information.
As cosponsor of the proposed People’s FOI Act by virtue of the petition for indirect initiative, we in the FYI were there when the bill was filed last July 1 the first day of submission of legislative measures in Congress. More than three months have passed, and the committee on rules headed by Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II has yet to refer the proposal to the appropriate committee.
During this time when the people are slowly losing hope in government, it is incumbent upon our elected representatives in the House to act swiftly and concretely in restoring our trust.
We call on Majority Leader Gonzales to immediately refer the People’s FOI bill to the House Committee on Public Information when their session resumes. Once this happens, we then call on Rep. Jorge Almonte, the chair of the committee, to be decisive in approving the consolidated proposals for FOI so that it may be tackled and passed by the House of Representatives once and for all.
We, the people, expect nothing less from those who are mandated to represent our interests.
—ALLAN PANGILINAN,
councilor, UPD CSSP Student Council/coconvener, FOI Youth Initiative, youth4foi@gmail.com