MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives on Tuesday, June 2, approved on final reading a bill that would give Filipinos a legally enforceable right to access government information for the first time — a milestone that has eluded five administrations and three decades of legislative effort.
House Bill No. 9397, or the proposed Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, passed with 284 votes in favor and none against or abstaining — a unanimous floor verdict that sent the measure to bicameral conference committee talks to reconcile differences with the Senate version, which the upper chamber passed in May.
"We could have stopped the massive corruption hiding behind substandard flood control projects and unchecked confidential funds if Congress had armed our citizens with a real right to information sooner," Dinagat Islands Rep. Arlene "Kaka" Bag-ao said on the floor during debate, as reported by INQUIRER.net. "This state secrecy has allowed these anomalies to fester in the dark while previous versions of this bill gathered dust. Today, we finally break that cycle of delay."
What the House Bill Proposes
Under House Bill No. 9397, all branches of government — including constitutional offices, local government units, state universities, government-owned and controlled corporations, and other state instrumentalities — would be required to "proactively publish key information of public interest" through official websites and other platforms.
Citizens would be able to file information requests directly with agencies or through an online portal managed by a new independent Right to Information Commission, which would be tasked with overseeing compliance and resolving disputes. Requesters would not be required to justify their requests.
Response timelines would be mandated: three working days for simple queries, seven for complex requests, and up to 20 days for technical matters. Requests involving "imminent threat to life, liberty, public safety, public health or the environment" must be responded to within two days.
The bill proposes a jail term of six months to two years and a fine of up to P200,000 for violations — a penalty framework that differs from the Senate version, which imposes one to six years imprisonment and a fine of P100,000 to P1 million. Reconciling these and other differences will be the task of the bicameral conference committee.
Transparency Groups: 'Game-Changing' if Enforced
Civil society organizations monitoring the bill's progress greeted the House vote with qualified optimism, while flagging the risk of weak enforcement.
"An FOI law could be powershifting as it gives the citizens the power of information," Joy Aceron, convener-director of government watchdog G-Watch, told INQUIRER.net. "It introduces a regime of openness in the bureaucracy, affirming that public office is public trust."
Aceron specifically commended the bill's proactive disclosure mechanism and the creation of an independent commission as "core features that could make this version work" — a contrast to the executive order-based FOI system that President Rodrigo Duterte introduced in 2016, which covered only the executive branch and carried no criminal penalties for non-compliance.
Patrick Acupan of the FOI Youth Initiative struck a more measured note. "Building a culture of transparency starts with practice such as familiarizing personnel with disclosure policies, developing institutional habits, and strengthening capacity over time," he said. "Half the work is already done because the information already exists. What remains is the willingness and capacity to disclose it."
The Corruption Context
The bill's passage comes as the Philippines grapples with the fallout from a multibillion-peso flood control scandal that has exposed how easily opaque procurement and congressional budget insertions enabled systematic looting of public infrastructure funds. Transparency International ranked the Philippines 120th out of 182 countries in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, with a score of 32 out of 100.
Majority Leader Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander "Sandro" Marcos III framed the bill in sweeping terms after the vote. "Transparency is not merely a policy objective. It is a fundamental pillar of public trust. When government information is accessible, citizens are better equipped to make informed decisions and actively participate in nation-building," he said.
Critics, however, have pointed out that the bill contains exemptions broad enough to swallow the rule — including a catch-all provision allowing agency heads to determine whether disclosure would threaten national security or compromise law enforcement investigations. The draft's silence on proactive disclosure timelines for older records has also drawn concern.
What Happens Next
The bicameral conference committee must reconcile the House and Senate versions before the measure can be transmitted to the President for signature. Key sticking points include the penalty regime, the scope of the independent commission's authority, and specific exemption language.
The Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) had set a June 2026 deadline for the FOI bill — a target now within reach, though the Senate's ongoing leadership crisis has disrupted the schedule for bicameral proceedings. Former Senate presidents have noted that the upper chamber may be unable to elect a permanent president until late July, which could delay the conference committee's formation.
An FOI bill has been filed in every Congress since 1987. It has passed the House in several prior sessions but consistently failed in the Senate or been blocked before bicameral reconciliation. The Senate's May 2026 passage and the House's June 2 vote represent the first time both chambers have approved compatible versions in the same Congress — making enactment, for the first time, a realistic near-term outcome.
Sources:
- Kenneth Christiane Basilio, "House OKs freedom of information bill on final reading," INQUIRER.net, June 2, 2026
- Manila Bulletin, "Senate OKs People's Freedom of Information Act," May 4, 2026
- INQUIRER.net, "House upholds 'right to info' measure ahead of bicam"
- House of Representatives, "Speaker Dy: Right to Information bill to strengthen transparency, fight corruption"
- INQUIRER.net Opinion, "FOI law now within reach"
