By Sammy F. Martin
MANILA, (PNA) — The House leadership on Friday assured the public that the controversial Freedom of Information (FOI) bill will be passed on 3rd and final reading.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. gave the assurance when asked about the score or fate of FOI Bill which is being lobbied by media practitioners.
“What I can assure you guys is FOI will pass under my term,” Belmonte told reporters in a press briefing.
Belmonte said he cannot divulge any target date because he wants to give members of the committee on Information more time and space to scrutinize the proposed measures. At least three bills of different approaches have been filed with the House.
The Senate vows to pass FOI within the year as they will prioritize period of interpellation and subsequently with the period of amendments when session resumes Monday.
Last month, the Senate started its plenary debates on the FOI bill after Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on Public Information, submitted her committee report.
In the 15th Congress, only the Senate passed the FOI bill while the House of Representatives buy time under the watch of Samar Rep. Ben Evardone without holding hearings for almost a year as the measure got stuck in his committee until Congress adjourn sine die.