Live TV airing of all House sessions pushed

The House Independent Bloc pushed yesterday for the approval of a measure seeking the live airing of all House proceedings on government-owned PTV Channel 4 to help promote transparency in the government.

Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez rallied behind House Bill 4049, which was filed by Buhay Hayaang Yumabong (Buhay) Party-list Rep. Lito Atienza.

“This is a very laudable proposal. The public must witness how members of the House are performing and responding to the call of their legislative duties,” he said.

“Mainly these include attending sessions to pass laws and congressional hearings in aid of legislation. This reform will help promote transparency in the government,” Romualdez added.

The House Committee on Public Information, chaired by Misamis Occidental Jorge Almonte already started deliberation on Atienza’s measure.

Atienza said he filed the measure last year to call for the showing of live proceedings of the sessions and committee hearings of the Senate and the House of Representatives from gavel to gavel on the People’s Television Network Inc. (PTNI), “so the people will know what is going on in the committee hearings and during plenary sessions and this is transparency on the part of Congress.”

HB 4049 seeks to amend Section 9 of the PTNI’s Charter, Republic Act No. 7306 to pave way for the showing of live proceedings of both Houses without editing nor commentary.