Church urges Aquino anew to pass FOI

THE Catholic Church is urging anew President Benigno Aquino III to pass the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill.

This came after the church’s social arm -- the National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (Nassa) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), saw the seeming apathy of Aquino towards the bill.

In a statement, Bishop Broderick Pabillo, Nassa national director, said FOI is definitely not something to be afraid of if Malacañang and its allies are not doing something wrong.

“What are you afraid of? This is so surprising since he espouses good governance and transparency. Is he serious in his ‘Daang Matuwid’ or is it just another slogan?” Pabillo said in the statement.

The Congress has only eight remaining sessions before it adjourns for the election break.

“This assertion would indeed lack credibility if the FOI Act will remain a pipe dream for us Filipinos,” he said.

The prelate reiterated that the passage and enforcement of FOI would be a great service to the Filipinos, especially the poor.

“Without access to information, the people are kept in the dark. Unfamiliarity and ignorance of government processes, contracts, activities and services, together with lack of formal education, cause deprivation of rights and poverty,” Pabillo said. (Abigail Chee Kee Malalis)