Binay to go all out for transparency bill
Opposition chieftain Vice President Jejomar c. Binay does not fear a Freedom of Information (FOI) act.
Binay, who has usually been criticized for his refusal to formally answer the various allegations of corruption against him, vowed, through his daughter, Senator Nancy Binay that he would actively push for an FOI law–something that the Aquino administration has failed to do.
In a speech delivered by Senator Binay in behalf of the Vice President at the 3rd Print Congress (PrintCon) 2015 Wednesday in Manila Hotel, the latter highlighted the importance of transparency and accountability.
“Transparency and accountability are hallmarks of good governance. The people have a right to know how the government works for them,” Senator Binay said as she read her father’s prepared speech for the event.
“In this regard, and hand-in-hand with improved transparency and government transactions, I will vigorously push for the passage of the FOI bill which the current administration has continuously refused to certify as urgent even if its passage was promised in the 2010 presidential campaign,” she said.
The statement was met with applause by more than 200 PrintCon delegates composed stakeholders in the Philippine print media industry.
Then-senator Benigno S. Aquino III promised to pass the pro-transparency measure five years ago and was arguably a focal point of his campaign.
The FOI bill–which would provide Filipinos with unprecedented access to information about the goings-on of government–has a sorry track record in Congress, and all signs point to it being sidelined anew as acknowledged by the Binay patriarch.
Vice President Binay has repeatedly brushed-off the allegations against him as just a smear job aimed at undermining his Palace run in 2016.
The UNA standard bearer for the 2016 presidential race was visiting victims of typhoon Lando in Central Luzon at the time of the Print Congress, which was organized by the United Print Media Group. He was invited as keynote speaker.