Open letter to President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III

Once enacted into law, the FOI Act will become the cornerstone of your administration's adherence to accountability, transparency and good governance. It will immortalize your leadership, sir.

Dear Mr. President:

Let me start off by saying that a well-informed electorate forms the better part of a genuinely democratic country. As journalists, our role in this supposed democratic society is quite well-defined. We are the fourth estate—our mandate is to inform and educate the electorate so that the latter can arrive at intelligent decisions.

I have it on good authority—actually he's one of your cabinet members—that you are inclined to let the Freedom of Information Act "die a natural death" in the 15th Congress.

Fear, ignorance and muzzling of the inherent right of every person to access public information has no place in a society you have declared, again and again, a free market of ideas.

Contrary to what your advisers are telling you, the call for the passage of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) is not only a demand of the media sector. This law will actually put into practice your campaign slogan, “Matuwid na daan.”

Once enacted into law, the FOI Act will become the cornerstone of your administration's adherence to accountability, transparency and good governance. It will immortalize your leadership, sir.

The access to public information is not only the concern of media but of the general public. It is our right to know how the people we elected into offices spend our taxes as well as policies and decisions that affect our everyday lives.

Honestly, Mr. President, I was disappointed, to say the least, when you signed into law the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (RA 10175) instead of the Freedom of Information Act, that has been gathering dust since the 14th Congress.

I have faith that you will be the kind of leader what my hero--your father, Senator Benigno Aquino--would have wanted you to be.

I respectfully request you, Mr. President sir, to prioritize the enactment of the Freedom of Information and while you're at it, aggressively move to repeal the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

I believe you can still be the better man.

I respectfully remain.

Most sincerely yours,

Cong B. Corrales
One of your "bosses"