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MANILA – After 120 days of preparation, Malacañang is officially rolling out today its Freedom of Information (FOI) measure, but with nine exceptions.
At least 15 government agencies will serve as pilot offices after the 3 p.m. unveiling at the Palace’s Heroes Hall, said Kris Ablan, an assistant secretary at the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
President Rodrigo Duterte on July 24 signed Executive Order (EO) No. 2 for the FOI at the executive branch.
Contrary to reports that the Palace-prepared FOI has 166 exceptions, Ablan clarified there are only nine and these are all “recognized by the Constitution [and] existing laws or jurisprudence.” They include:
* information covered by Executive privilege
* privileged information relating to national security defense or international relations
* information concerning law enforcement and protection of public and personal safety
* information deemed confidential for the protection of the privacy of persons and certain individuals such as minors, victims of crimes, or the accused
* information, documents or records known by reason of official capacity and are deemed as confidential, including those submitted or disclosed by entities to government agencies, tribunals, boards, or officers, in relation to the performance of their functions, or to inquiries or investigation conducted by them in the exercise of their administrative, regulatory or quasi-judicial powers
* prejudicial premature disclosure
* records of proceedings or information from proceedings which, pursuant to law or relevant rules and regulations, are treated as confidential or privileged
* matters considered confidential under banking and finance laws, and their amendatory laws
* other exceptions to the right to information under laws, jurisprudence, rules and regulations.
Ablan said the list “shall periodically be updated” by the Department of Justice and the Office of the Solicitor General “as the need to do so arises.”
Ten agencies have already complied with EO No. 2: National Historical Commission of the Philippines, Department of Finance, Parole and Probation Administration, Department of Information and Communications Technology, National Housing Authority, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC), Land Bank of the Philippines, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, and Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.
Ablan said the PCO expects compliance from all government agencies by 2017.
“Apart from the ceremonial turnover of FOI Manuals, we’re also unveiling and launching the e-FOI wherein citizens can lodge their applications online,” he said.
The e-FOI is still on beta program. The government hopes to improve it by 2018, said Ablan.
Fifteen agencies are on board for e-FOI: departments of Budget and Management, Justice, Health, Transportation, Finance, and Information Technology; Philippine Statistics Authority; National Archives of the Philippines; Philippine National Police; PhilHealth; Office of the Solicitor General; Presidential Commission on Good Government; OGCC; and Public Attorney’s Office.
“Starting Friday, citizens who have queries on FOI can lodge their queries online on the website www.foi.gov.ph,” Ablan said.
Agencies have a “non-extendable 35 working days” to process the requested information, and those that will not comply may be charged administratively, according to the PCO assistant secretary. (PNA)
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