Geneva: The House of Representatives The House of Representatives on Tuesday night approved on third and final reading a landmark measure that would give Filipinos broader access to government records, spending documents, contracts, and decision-making processes, while requiring agencies to proactively disclose information of public interest.
According to Philippines News Agency, lawmakers voted 284-0 with zero abstentions to approve House Bill (HB) No. 9397, or the proposed Right to Information (RTI) Act of 2026, a priority measure under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council. The measure is principally authored by Speaker Faustino 'Bojie' Dy III, House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander 'Sandro' Marcos, Committee on Public Information Chair Lordan Suan, and Committee on Appropriations Chair Mikaela Angela Suansing.
If enacted into law, the measure would establish a comprehensive framework that would allow citizens to access official records, contracts, expenditures, policy documents, research data, and other information used by government agencies to make decisions that affect the public. The bill would cover the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, constitutional commissions, government-owned and controlled corporations, state universities and colleges, local government units, and other government instrumentalities.
One of its centerpiece provisions is the creation of an independent Right to Information Commission that would oversee the law's implementation, hear appeals of denied requests, investigate violations, and enforce compliance across government agencies. The measure would also establish a centralized Online RTI Portal through which citizens may electronically file, monitor, and track requests for information, while requiring all government offices to designate dedicated Right to Information Officers and Decision Makers to ensure prompt action on requests.
To promote transparency without requiring citizens to file formal requests, the bill mandates the proactive publication of government budgets, expenditures, procurement contracts, audit findings, annual reports, performance indicators, public programs, utilization of public funds, and other records involving public interest. The proposal likewise seeks to strengthen transparency in government contracting by requiring disclosure of beneficial ownership information involving entities doing business with the government, helping identify the real individuals behind corporations participating in public transactions.
The bill adopts the principle that disclosure is the rule and secrecy the exception. Government agencies seeking to withhold information would be required to prove that the requested records fall under narrowly tailored exemptions involving national security, law enforcement operations, foreign relations, privacy rights, or other exceptions recognized by law. It also introduces a public-interest override provision that would allow disclosure when the public benefit outweighs potential harm, particularly in cases involving corruption, misuse of public funds, abuse of authority, threats to public safety, or other matters of significant public concern.
The bill further imposes administrative, civil, and criminal liabilities on officials who unlawfully deny access to information, conceal or destroy public records, provide false information, or retaliate against individuals exercising their right to access government information. In a statement, Dy said the bill's approval is a major step toward building a more open government and empowering citizens to participate more meaningfully in public affairs.
'Democracy works best when citizens are informed. The right to information does more than provide access to documents - It empowers every Filipino by providing them the means to understand how government works, how decisions are made, and how public resources are being used,' the Speaker from Isabela said. 'This measure strengthens the people's ability to hold institutions accountable and reinforces the principle that government exists to serve the public, not the other way around,' he added.
Meanwhile, Marcos said the measure seeks to strengthen transparency and accountability in government by transforming public access to information from a constitutional principle into an enforceable statutory right. 'The right to information is a constitutional right that empowers citizens to participate meaningfully in governance, demand accountability from public officials, and strengthen democratic institutions,' Marcos said in a separate statement. He said the measure also recognizes the demands of modern governance by promoting digitized records management, open-data systems, and online platforms that make government information easier to access.
'This measure strengthens transparency while ensuring that legitimate concerns involving privacy, national security, and sensitive information remain protected under clearly defined safeguards,' Marcos said.
