(Excerpts from the hearing of the Committee on Public Information and Mass Media joint with the Committees on Civil Service and Government Reorganization/Justice and Human Rights on the proposed Freedom of Access to Information Act on February 18, 2009, Senate of the Philippines)

Rep. Villanueva: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Good afternoon po to all our resource persons here.

Let me just to put on the record, Mr. Chairman, what is stated in our constitution, Article II, Section 28: “Subject to reasonable conditions prescribed by law, the state adopts and implements a policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest.”

Now, Article III, Section 7 states, “The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized. Access to official records and to documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as government research data used a basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen subject to such limitations as may be provided by the law.”

Mr. Chairman, this representation and representing the party-list CIBAC, we have been pushing for this particular measure since the 12^th Congress. And I remember last Congress, with my distinguished colleague and the distinguished Chairman of this committee co-authored Anti-Red Tape Act, and it became a law already. And I think that this bill that we are talking about will definitely benefit the said law.

Mr. Chairman, in the light of what is happening right now in the country, controversies per controversies ho napakadaming nangyayaring kalokohan. As an anti-corruption watchdog, laging sinasabi, “what can we do?” The Transparency International already stated long ago, Mr. Chairman, defining corruption that “corruption is monopoly plus discretion minus accountability.” If you put so much powers, discretionary powers to one particular agency of government or in one position and bawasan mo ‘yung accountability hayaan mo silang magturo-turo at mawala yung transparency, then ang bottom line is corruption. And the only way we can address graft and corruption in this country is to promote transparency and accountability especially in our government. That is why, Mr. Chairman, I believe that this bill will definitely benefit the public in our quest to involve them in our cause in fighting the evils of graft and corruption.

Mr. Chairman, the right to information and the state’s responsibility to disclose information, as I have mentioned are mandated in our Constitution. They are part of our state policies and an essential right under our Bill o Rights.

After more than 20 years, Mr. Chairman, since the Filipino people have ratified our Constitution, Congress sadly has been remiss in its duty to legislate a law that would give flesh and substance rot h spirit of the said provision. That’s why, Mr. Chairman, we the House of Representatives – coming from the House of Representatives and I am sure that good Senator would join us in this congress are calling to correct this institutional lapse and the passage of the Access to information Bill into law would be testament, Mr. Chairman, to our commitment, to our oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, establish and promote good governance and genuinely serve the Filipino people. At a time when transparency and accountability, Mr. Chairman, of the entire government is doubted, this bill once passed, will help us salvage whether credibility of Congress still has an institution for the people.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.