The defeat of the Freedom of Information (FoI) bill by default as a result of an intentional lack of quorum not only showed the reluctance or even fear among those in government to allow wide access to public documents but was also an indication of the still potent hand of Gloria Arroyo in the House of Representatives. The force of number again held sway in that day of shame at the House. There was no way that Congress lacked quorum the other day when the FoI was tackled and Speaker Prospero Nograles was even about to bang the gavel for its approval when a congressman called his attention on the lack of quorum. The absent bodies, however, were just lingering outside the plenary hall. Party-list Rep. Joel Villanueva even requested that the congressmen be compelled to be brought to the assembly even through arrest. A meeting then ensued and the bill was dead. To be fair, however, with Villanueva’s motion for the arrest to be made for the absent congressmen, even if it was a good sound bite, was not as easy as all that, mainly because there are existing rules. . The bill, however, which has been agonizing in the Congress pipeline for over a decade had only one fate as long as Gloria can exert influence in the House. And that is certain death. Source: The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100606com1.html |
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29. Alam n'yo kaya na ngayon ang ika-115 na pagdiriwang ng pinakaunang
labanan ng Himagsikan bago pa man ang pangkalahataang pag-aaklas? Ngayon
unang lum...
13 years ago
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