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First Posted on Inside Mindanao (www.insidemindanao.com) on February 11, 2010

Letter to the Editor

Right to Information, Right Now

Dear Editor,

DAVAO CITY—This is in reaction to the early report that House Speaker Prospero Nograles cannot commit for the passage of House Bill 3732 or the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act of 2010, pointing out that other pending bills were also considered equally important and that he could not guarantee a quorum.

By not committing to the passage of House Bill 3732, Speaker Nograles is jeopardizing the bill that would finally guarantee our right to information on matters of public concern. FOI could be Nograles' legacy as he leaves the national scene and enter local politics in his bid to become Davao City's chief executive.

The bill has been approved by the bicameral conference and was even ratified by the senate almost simultaneously, why can't the house ratify it as well?

The law is very important to the people as it obliges the government to disclose the contents of various public documents like agreements, contracts, loans, bilateral or multilateral agreements, and licenses to use or extract natural resources among others that are most of the time denied by authorities when requested.

The women and men of the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center—Kasama sa Kalikasan⁄Friends of the Earth Philippines (LRC—KsK⁄FoE Phils.) strongly call on the House leadership to pass the Freedom of Information Act before election extravaganza sets aside its enactment.

LRC–KsK⁄FoE Phils. as a policy and legal research and advocacy institution has been working for the empowerment of the marginalized indigenous peoples and rural communities and has assisted communities in asserting and demanding transparency from the government about "development projects" in their areas that threaten their life and security.

We can't wait another congress to ratify the bill. We cannot afford a back to square one process just because unseen hands are blocking the bill to conceal their anomalous deals for various projects with the government.

It's not yet too late for Nograles to end this Congress with the passage of a law that will strengthen our country's democracy. Enact the Freedom of Information Bill now!

Jean Marie M. Ferraris
Team Leader, Davao Regional Office
Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center
Kasama sa Kalikasan
Friends of the Earth Philippines
(LRC⁄KsK–FoE Phils)

END