AS transparency should not end with the disclosure of Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs), a House leader urged the immediate passage of the long-delayed Freedom of Information (FOI) bill, which has been pending in Congress for nearly three decades.
Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos, an assistant majority leader, made a statement after the Office of the Ombudsman vowed to restore public access to the Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) of government officials.
Santos said both initiatives are key to strengthening transparency, accountability, and public trust in the government.
‘Transparency should not stop with the disclosure of SALNs,’ Santos said. ‘The people have the right to access information about how their government operates and how public funds are spent. The FOI bill will empower citizens to hold their leaders accountable.’
Pending in Congress for over three decades, the FOI bill institutionalizes the people’s constitutional right to access information on matters of public concern. It mandates all government agencies to release records, contracts, and transactions upon request, subject to reasonable exceptions.
Santos emphasized that the FOI bill would complement the Ombudsman’s move to reopen access to SALNs, creating a more comprehensive framework for transparency and integrity in public service.
Earlier, the Las Piñas lawmaker also called on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to enforce a strict ‘one-strike policy’ against personnel involved in corruption or irregularities. He said decisive action is necessary to regain public trust and ensure that infrastructure funds are properly spent.
He said swift, decisive action is needed to restore public trust and ensure infrastructure funds are spent properly.
‘Restoring public access to SALNs is a major victory for transparency, but it should only be the beginning,’ Santos added. ‘We must go further by enacting the FOI law so that transparency becomes the rule, not the exception.’
He also urged his fellow lawmakers to prioritize the measure in this 20th Congress.
The current proposed FOI bill in the House, House Bill 2897, is authored by Reps. Edgar R. Erice of Caloocan, Adrian Michael A. Amatong of Zamboanga del Norte, Arlene J. Bag-ao of Dinagat Islands, Jaime R. Fresnedi of Muntinlupa, Cielo B. Lagman of Albay, Alfonso V. Umali Jr. of Oriental Mindoro, and Leila de Lima of Mamamayang Liberal.
In the Senate, the counterpart FOI bill has been filed by Sen. Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan. Senate President Vicente Sotto III also refiled an FOI bill (‘People’s Freedom of Information Act of 2025’) as well.
‘It’s time to deliver on a promise that has been delayed for far too long,’ Santos said. ‘Passing the FOI Bill will show that this Congress is serious about good governance and the people’s right to know.’
The original author of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill in Congress is the late Rep. Ernesto ‘Ernie’ Ruffa of Bulacan, who first filed it in the 8th Congress (1987-1992) following the ratification of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
The FOI Bill was intended to operationalize Article III, Section 7 of the Constitution, which guarantees the people’s right to information on matters of public concern.
Since then, several versions have been refiled in every Congress-among the more prominent later authors and champions were Rep. Lorenzo ‘Erin’ Tañada III (Quezon)-principal author and long-time FOI advocate during the 14th and 15th Congresses by Party-list Reps. Walden Bello of Akbayan, and Teodoro Casiño and Neri Colmenares of Bayan Muna-co-authors and vocal supporters during the Aquino administration.