MANILA – Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., touted as the country’s “little president,” was named as top Malacañang official who has been lobbying against the passage of the controversial freedom of information (FOI) measure now pending in congress.
An ally of President Benigno Aquino 3rd, who asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak on the matter, disclosed that the FOI bill is not getting anywhere because of strong opposition from Ochoa.
According to the source, who is also a member of the House of Representatives, Ochoa relayed his opposition to the bill to a Cabinet member who strongly supports the FOI measure.
Spooked
“The Cabinet official told me that the Executive secretary doesn’t like the FOI because he doesn’t want the minutes of the Cabinet meetings made public. He’s scared of the media,” the source said in a text message sent to The Manila Times.
The FOI codifies the right of the people to information on matters of public concern and the state policy, receive full disclosure from officials of all transactions involving public interest, including transcripts and minutes of official as well as Cabinet meetings.
The bill has been pending before the House committee on public information since February 2011.
Malacañang’s version of the measure was submitted to the committee in January 2012.
Besides public disclosure of minutes of Cabinet meetings, the source added that Ochoa fears that the passage of the bill will pave the way for a witch-hunt.
“ES told the Cabinet member, would you want the media to know what we talked about in the Cabinet? But this Cabinet member stood pat in his longstanding position for the passage of FOI,” the source further said.
During his campaign for the presidency in 2010, President Aquino vowed to support the passage of the FOI measure. His promise, however, has yet to see the light of day since he has refused to issue a marching order for his allies in Congress to act with dispatch in passing the bill.
Furious
On Tuesday, Rep. Rodolfo Antonino of Nueva Ecija province was furious over the exclusion of his version of the FOI under the proposed substitute bill.
Antonino, who has been pushing for a right of reply (ROR) provision in the bill, questioned deputy spokesman Lorenzo ‘Erin’ Tañada 3rd’s decision to exclude his proposal. Tañada argued that Antonino’s version should not take precedence over the inputs of Malacañang.
Antonino was questioning the draft substitute bill on the FOI, which implements the right of the people to information on matters of public concern and the state policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest.
Likewise, the FOI provides access to information being used for decision-making or project management as well as transcripts and minutes of official meetings.
Tañada, one of the authors of the bill, headed the consolidation of the 12 measures filed by him and other lawmakers in his capacity as chairman of the Technical Working Group (TWG).
“I am questioning the process of the TWG because I don’t think it is fair that the inputs of Malacañang would take precedence over the bill filed by a House member,” Antonino said, referring to the provisions of the draft FOI substitute bill, which has the Palace proposals such as mandatory posting of the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth on the internet by public officials.
Malacañang submitted its inputs in January 2012. Undersecretary Manolo Quezon 3rd of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office attended the Committee hearing on the FOI in March 2012.
Tañada said that he cannot include Antonino’s version, citing existing House rules, which provide that the mother committee, in this case the House committee on public information, should take cognizance of the measure filed before it can be referred for integration in the substitute bill by the
Committee.
The TWG has reported its consolidated version of the FOI in February 2011. The bill, however, gathered dust because the House committee on public information never called a committee hearing on the measure for the entire year of 2011.
At a press briefing also on Tuesday, Reps. Lorenzo Tañada and Teddy Baguilat Jr. of Ifugao province said that the success of the FOI bill lies on whether Congress will be able to come to an agreement before it goes on recess this December.
They believe that the bill could have been passed if they had more sessions to discuss the few contentions and different opinions on what should be contained in the bill.
One such contention is the inclusion of Antonino’s ROR provision that gives any person involved in an issue relating to an obtained document equal opportunity to comment or explain in the media.
Tañada also said that the House’s failure to approve the measure before the recess would be the final nail in the coffin of the FOI bill.
But the lawmakers explained that even if the bill failed to hurdle the committee level, they can still pass it by striking a compromise between those opposed to and those who are for the bill’s passage. (With a report from Khristopher Vincent Defensor)
Link: http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/headlines-mt/35300-ochoa-lobbied-vs-foi-bill-lawmaker
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