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Malacañang eyes FOI signing on Friday

Congress has yet to pass the FOI bill since it was first introduced in 1992, but its executive order version, promised by President Rodrigo Duterte, may soon take into effect.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said on Wednesday the President may sign the FOI before weekend.

Andanar met Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and FOI advocates on Wednesday. He described the meeting as a “scholastic exchange of ideas about FOI.”

He said that the draft of the transparency measure that will cover the executive department should be ready by Thursday night.

Andanar last week said, Malacañang was rushing to get the executive order on the FOI signed as early as possible.

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella in his first briefing last Monday explained, signing an EO on the FOI was important for Duterte, as he “abhors secrecy and desires transparency.”

Earlier, the President was quoted to have said: “Kung ayaw ng Congress, I will start with this progressively. Para walang satsat, walang yakyak, Day One, Freedom of Information, I will impose it on my department, the executive department.”

The transparency measure makes available the details of government transactions, officials’ statements of assets, liabilities and net worth, and other official documents to the media and the public, subject to certain conditions such as national security concerns.

A legislated FOI was approved by the Senate twice under the Aquino administration, but it never got past the plenary at the House of Representatives.

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