Duterte will face Congress today to lay down his legislative agenda, including the need to pass an FOI law so that disclosures of information could cover all branches of government, not just the Executive.
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The public official receiving the request shall provide reasonable assistance and can charge a reasonable cost to the person making the request.
While allowing access to public records, the President has also upheld the protection of privacy of concerned individuals in the executive branch.
Andanar said the EO signed by the President on Saturday night will be released with the necessary number and stamp on Monday for the public.
“Only 25 days as President, this is a record-breaking speed of a cornerstone or milestone executive order being signed”, Andanar said.
President Rodrigo Duterte directs the Department of Justice and the Office of the Solicitor General to prepare an inventory of such exceptions within 30 calendar days.
“There shall be a legal presumption in favor of access to information, public records and official records”, the order reads.
“CCPC has asked for specific limits on discretion of local officials to reject requests for public documents”.
Andanar meantime dismissed speculations the President was rushing the FOI measure in time for his first SONA scheduled today.
A briefer prepared by the Official Gazette said a total of 76 SONA have already been delivered since then and Duterte’s address tomorrow will be the 77th.
The Cebu Federation of Beat Journalists (CFBJ), a federation of 11 media organizations in Cebu, likewise lauded Duterte for issuing the order.
He added that the president now left passage of the bill to both chambers of Congress.
Under the EO, “information” is defined as “any records, documents, papers, reports, letters, contracts, minutes and transcript of official meetings, maps, books, photographs, data, research materials, films, sound and video recording, magnetic or other tapes, electronic data, computer stored data, or any other like or similar data or materials recorded”.
An FOI bill failed to muster enough support in the 16th Congress.
The EO covers all offices under the Executive branch, including government-owned or -controlled corporations as well as state universities and colleges.
He, however, underlined that information deemed to “put our government in danger in terms of national security” would be exempt.
“While this is a very welcome development, we hope that this new administration will continue to pursue the enactment of a complete Freedom of Information Law through legislation, with provisions requiring access to particular documents and data in all levels of government, penalties for public officials and employees who deny such access, and other components that will truly guarantee transparency, accountability, and people’s participation”, the group stated. “We are open, everything is open”, Tan said.
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Youth groups said the EO on FOI is a “tool against corruption”.
