Democracy is about citizens expressing their will through their representatives in Congress.

But more often than not, push comes to a shove as far as making such collective will reflected in the votes of their representatives.

There are powerful interests who have vast resources to make lawmaker vote one way or the other on certain pieces of pending legislation.

In fact, a profession grew out of such need for “legislative liaison and counsel” to give our lawmakers “enlightened, fresh or independent perspective” of the issues or measures up for a vote.

It’s called congressional lobbying.    

In a refreshing twist, the aptly called lower House of Congress is making a rare effort on its own to make such lobbying transparent to the public.

Please tell us we are not dreaming.

The House of  Representatives committee on people’s participation has endorsed for plenary approval a bill that aims to expose the lobbying activities in government, particularly in Congress.

“We must enhance public confidence in the integrity of public office by implementing a policy of full public disclosure of lobbying activities and transactions in the country,” Manila 1st District Rep. Benjamin Asilo, chairman of the committee, was quoted by a major broadsheet as saying.

The committee passed for plenary approval House Bill 1199, to be called the Lobbying Disclosure Act, authored by Marikina 1st District Rep. Marcelino Teodoro.

The bill defines lobbying  as the practice of influencing the introduction, shepherding, or passage of legislation before the two chambers of Congress (House or Representatives and Senate), as well as intervening in the official decisions of public officials and the implementation of government programs and projects.

A lobbyist, meanwhile, is defined as any person or juridical entity, including a corporation, a partnership, or an association, which engages in the practice of lobbying for a regular salary, a retainer, or other compensation or a non-monetary benefit.

“Transparency and good governance entail, among others, revealing all information related to lobbying activities and transactions involving government offices,” Teodoro said.

Asilo is one of the co-authors of the bill. The others are Reps. Cinchona Gonzales, Cresente C. Paez, Catalina Leonen-Pizarro, Arnel Ty, Reena Concepcion Obillo, Raymond Palatino, Christopher Co, Winston Castelo, and Salvador Cabaluna.

The bill seeks to provide for penal provisions, one of which is: “Any person who shall act as lobbyist without a license shall be fined with not less than P30,000.00 nor more than P50,000.00 and shall be prohibited from acting as a lobbyist for a period of three years from the date of conviction.”

The proposed law identifies the coverage of lobbying activities that include the following: any action or communication intended to influence the formulation, introduction, shepherding, or passage of legislation;  the drafting of implementing rules and regulations;  the formulation of policies, the exercise of public authority; and  the expenditure of public money.

“The measure also delineates activities which shall not be considered as lobbying activities and directs lobbyists to register with appropriate government registering agencies provided under the proposed Act,” the authors noted.

Well and good.

We wish the proponents of the bill all the luck and pray that the bill does not “lie there and die there ” in the committee.