Nationwide FOI signature campaign tomorrow
Cebu media will join a nationwide launching of a signature campaign for the immediate passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill.
A sign-on event and a forum on the FOI will be held at the Rajah Park Hotel in Cebu City tomorrow.
Representatives from the academe, students, law groups, nongovernment organizations (NGOs) and the media will give solidarity messages followed by a symbolic signing of a national petition for the passage of an FOI law.
The Cebu event is organized by the Kaabag sa Sugbo Foundation, Inc. as part of the national organizers of the campaign.
Lawyer Rose Versoza, anchor of GMA 7’s Balitang Bisdak will represent media lawyers and the Cebu Citizens-Press Council (CCPC) which supports the campaign.
Pending
“We need a law that will give life to the right of citizens to request and be given access to government information beyond what government chooses to disclose proactively,” the petition reads.
“An FOI law responds to this by clarifying the scope of and exceptions to available information, by providing the definite procedure for requesting and being given access to information, and by imposing administrative or criminal liability for the violation of a citizen’s right to information,” it explained.
The FOI bill remains pending at the Committee level in the House of Representatives.
Interested petitioners can also sign an online petition at www.change.org/ TayoNaParaSaFOI.
Petitions can also be sent by texting <I support the People’s FOI!> <Full Name> <Age> <City> to 0939-812-8317.
A letter with the signatures will be delivered to President Benigno Aquino III and Speaker Belmonte one week before the President’s State of the Nation Address in July 1.
Netizens can use the hashtag #PeoplesFOInow from noon today (Monday) until tomorrow evening as part of the social media campaign for the petition.
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