ALLIES of President Benigno Aquino III welcomed the Palace version of the  Freedom of Information Bill and vowed to convene immediately the committee on public information to discuss the measure and report it to the plenary for urgent approval.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, chairman of the Committee on Public Information, said that they will start the deliberation of the Palace bill this month amid the impeachment trial against Chief Justice Renato Corona.

“I would like to assure the stakeholders and the general public that my committee will immediately consider the Palace proposal. Hopefully, we will be able to consolidate all the proposals, including the Palace version, and come up with a committee report before we adjourn for the Holy week so we can tackle it in the plenary in May,” Evardone said.

One of the proponents of the FoI bill, Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada has expressed elation over the adoption of the Palace of his version of the measure.

The FoI Bill is an integral element of the Aquino Good Governance and Anti-Corruption Plan of 2012-2016, which the President recently approved subject to further refinements.

This plan contains reforms and initiatives that pursue greater transparency, accountability and citizen participation in governance.

The bill ensures public interest without compromising government’s legitimate rights, balances legitimate needs for secrecy with the public’s right to know.

“I definitely welcome the President’s green light on the FoI bill and thank the Malacañang Study Group for using my bill as template in proposing refinements on the measure. It was likewise a privilege to have worked with them but this bill is actually a product of a collective process that dates back to earlier Congresses,” Tañada said.

According to Tañada, many of the issues and concerns of the President have been addressed in a manner that is balanced with the rights of the citizens to access information on matters of public concern.