Senate ratifies bill strengthening right to information
(
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/182950/senate-ratifies-bill-strengthening-right-to-information)
The Philippine Senate ratified a bill strengthening the Filipino’s
right to access information, especially government documents.
Under the Freedom of Information bill, all agencies are required to
make all data available to the public for scrutiny, copying, and
reproduction.
Information covered by the bill pertain to official acts, transactions
or decisions, including government research data used as basis for
policy development, regardless of their physical form or format in
which these are contained and by whom these were made.
"This right is indispensable to the exercise of the right of the people
and their organizations to effective and reasonable participation at
all levels of social, political, and economic decision-making," the
bill stated.
Government agencies “shall have the burden of proof of showing by clear
and convincing evidence that the information requested is exempted from
disclosure by this Act," the bill further said.
Exemptions for documents endangering national security
However, the bill exempts documents seen to endanger national security,
foreign policies, and those pertaining to ongoing military or police
operations.
Read more... (
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/182950/senate-ratifies-bill-strengthening-right-to-information),
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Tracey P. Lauriault
613-234-2805
https://gcrc.carleton.ca/confluence/display/GCRCWEB/Lauriault