Fact Check: Freedom of Information

Claim: All senatoriables support the passage of the Freedom of Information Bill, except for Jamby Madrigal, who has no categorical stand on FOI.

The Fifteenth Congress could have cleared the way for the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill aimed at deepening and broadening mechanisms for transparency and accountability in the government. Despite the Senate voting unanimously for its passage, though, the apparent lack of interest from the President to certify the Bill as urgent and the failure of the House Representatives to pass their version of the Bill have kept the Bill afloat and its future remaining grim. However, the 2013 elections seem to signal hope for FOI as ALL the senatorial candidates, except one, have expressed their support for FOI based on their official pronouncements in websites and news clippings.

This FactCheck aims to further scrutinize the position of the candidates by looking at their track record in pushing for the Bill so as to provide a more solid basis for prediction on the faith of FOI in the 16th Congress.

Fact Checked:
Among the top 20 leading candidates in the April 1 SWS Senatorial Survey Release, nine either co-authored or co-sponsored the bill (Loren Legarda, Alan Peter Cayetano, Antonio Trillanes IV, Gringo Honasan, MigzZubiri and Richard Gordon in the Senate, and RisaHontiveros, Sonny Angara, and JV Ejercito in the House of Representatives). Four other veterans/seniors in politics voted for or showed formal support to the passage of the bill (ChizEscudero, Koko Pimentel, Jack Enrile, and Mitos Magsaysay). These candidates therefore have shown, one way or another, through concrete actions (though varying in degree), their support for the FOI, signaling the reliability of their support for FOI in the 16th Congress. But there are seven candidates who were found with no track record directly supporting their pro-FOI claims. They are: Nancy Binay, Cynthia Villar, Bam Aquino, Grace Poe, Ramon Magsaysay, Ernesto Maceda, and TingtingCojuangco. It is the burden of these candidates to prove that their support for the FOI is not a mere lip service. To date, available facts say their support is nothing but pure pronouncement.

Freedom of Information Matrix

All are in favor of the FOI, but only the following have track record to prove their stand.

Escudero Pimentel Trillanes

Voted for its passage in the Senate. Principal author of the Senate version. Co-sponsor in the Senate. Co-authored the

Honasan

Cayetano Senate version.

Hontiveros version during her time

as a Representative.

Co-author of the House

Ejercito

Co-authored the House version.

Zubiri Gordon

Co-authored their own versions during their time as Senators.

Angara

One of the principal authors of the House version. Co-authored and co-sponsored the Senate version.

Legarda

Among the 117 Representatives who Enrile Magsaysay, M. signed the signature campaign for the Bills passage.

Binay Villar No information Aquino found to support Poe Magsaysay, R. the claim. Maceda Cojuangco
No categorical answer for her support or objection of the bill.

Madrigal