Hearings on FOI resume mid-October - Speaker

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

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InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5

MANILA, Philippines -- Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said on Friday that committee hearings on the Freedom of Information bill would resume in October when Congress returns to session.

Belmonte said he has talked to Eastern Samar Representative Ben Evardone, chairman of the public information committee, for the schedule of the hearing "on the week of October 15."

Evardone said the FOI bill hearings follow after the approval on third and final reading of the proposed 2013 budget, which is scheduled for October 8.

He said there would be continuing discussion on the contentious provision of the bill, and it would be up to the committee members to decide if they would vote on a consolidated version of the measure.

On Thursday night, Quezon Representative Lorenzo "Erin" Tanada III confirmed the resumption of the FOI hearings.

Tanada, one of the authors of the bill, said the bill must be passed since more than 100 House members have already signed up in support of the measure, which will give the public access to government contracts, documents and other information after a formal request was made.

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