Saturday 13th August, 2011 (Source: Sun Star Daily)
BOTH the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill and the proposed Freedom of Information (FOI) Act have been discussed in the Cabinet meeting held in Malacañang Friday.
Both measures, which failed to make the list of the priority bills identified during the first Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac), had long been pushed by several lawmakers to be passed in Congress. "Both bills were discussed yesterday (Friday),” Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said over government-run dzRB radio.
But as to the measures’ inclusion in the Ledac meeting, she added: “I do not know yet because yesterday, some bills were lacking details while some need refinements. May naipasok na sa listahan but the list is still changing."
The RH measure has been pending in Congress since the 10th Congress – or around 15 years ago – while the FOI has first been proposed in the 12th Congress.
Both bills have also been left out in the first two State of the Nation Address (Sona) delivered by President Benigno Aquino III.
Bayan Muna Representative Teddy Casiño, one of the proponents of the FOI bill, said that if the Freedom of Information Act is not included in the list of priority measures, it shows that President Aquino is not interested in fulfilling his administration’s vow of transparency.
“Obviously, the President is not interested. For him, transparency is only for the previous administration,” he said in text message to Sun.Star.
Gabriela Representative Luzviminda Ilagan, one of the authors of the RH bill in the House of Representatives, meanwhile said that Aquino if pro-poor as he said during his campaign, he should include the long-delayed measure in the executive’s priority bills.
“If it is not included, then there is a big credibility gap. His words should match his action of declaring it priority. Mothers are dying daily. He should be able to lessen maternal mortality through RH. If he is pro poor, support in the RH bill is the matuwid na daan,” she told Sun.Star.
The House version of the FOI bill is still pending in the committee level while the RH bill is already pending for second reading approval.
The second Ledac is scheduled on August 16. The first Ledac meeting was held in February with 22 priority bills presented by the executive to Congress. During the first Ledac in February, some 22 priority bills were presented by the administration to Congress.
The Ledac is a body whose members are tasked to meet every quarter to discuss priority legislation, among others.
Among the priority measures that were passed by Congress since the Ledac was first convened was the Government Owned and Controlled Corporations Governance Act of 2011, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao election postponement measure, and the extension of the oversight function of the Joint Congressional Power Commission on the Electric Power Industry Reform Act and the Renewable Energy Act.