Analysts: Marcos should pursue FOI reforms to cement government transparency

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. should enact the long-awaited Freedom of Information (FOI) bill to stay true to his government's commitment to transparency and accountability, and as he seeks to cement his legacy in the second half of his term, political analysts said at the weekend.

- By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio Reporter

The Philippine leader should declare the measure as a priority of his administration to help push the bill forward in Congress, which for decades has remained lukewarm to the proposal, they added.

"If Mr. Marcos is really serious and sincere with his pronouncements about promoting transparency and accountability in the government and combating fake news, he should prioritize and certify as urgent the passage of an FOI law in the 20^th Congress," Arjan P. Aguirre, who teaches political science at the Ateneo de Manila University, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.