Sen. Grace Poe has vowed to ensure the passage into law of the Freedom of Information bill in the 17th Congress.
Poe said she is determined to work for the approval of the FoI and other key bills that will unleash the power of the citizenry in sustaining inclusive economic development in the next Congress.
In re-submitting the FoI bill, Poe said she believes a strong version of the measure is paramount to stamp out corruption under President Duterte’s watch.
“Nagbibigay ito ng armas sa ating mga kababayan para mabusisi ang mga dokumento ng gobyerno,” said Poe, the primary sponsor of the FoI bill in the Senate during the 16th Congress.
The bill, which former President Aquino failed to act upon during his term, seeks to institutionalize transparency and accountability in all transactions and operations of the bureaucracy by giving citizens the right to request and be granted access to government records or information, subject to reasonable exceptions.
“Greater access to information would empower citizens to participate in government matters and hold public officials accountable,” according to Poe.
Poe also pitched for the swift approval of the bill that seeks to institutionalize a free nutri-meals program for children enrolled in the K-12 public schools to improve their health, attendance, and academic performance.
(Hannah L. Torregoza)