Filipinos may soon find it easier to access government records, contracts, spending documents and official decisions after lawmakers approved a measure seeking to institutionalize the public’s right to information.
The House of Representatives on June 2 unanimously approved on third and final reading House Bill No. 9397, or the proposed Right to Information (RTI) Act of 2026, with 284 affirmative votes, no negative votes and no abstentions.
A priority measure under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), the bill seeks to operationalize the constitutional right to information by establishing a framework allowing citizens to access official records, expenditures, policy documents, research data and other information used by government agencies in making decisions affecting the public.
If enacted, the proposed law 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.
To implement the measure, an independent Right to Information Commission would be established to oversee implementation, hear appeals from denied requests, investigate violations and enforce compliance across government agencies, alongside a centralized online portal where citizens may file, monitor and track information requests.
In addition, requests may be filed directly with agencies or through the portal, without applicants being required to justify why they are seeking access to records.
Under the bill, government agencies would be required to respond within three working days for simple requests, seven working days for complex requests and up to 20 working days for technical matters.
Meanwhile, requests involving imminent threats to life, liberty, public safety, public health or the environment must be addressed within two days.
The bill adopts the principle that disclosure is the rule and secrecy the exception, requiring agencies withholding information to justify refusals based on narrowly defined exemptions involving national security, law enforcement operations, foreign relations, privacy rights and other legally recognized exceptions.
It also includes a public-interest override provision allowing disclosure when public benefit outweighs potential harm, particularly in cases involving corruption, misuse of public funds, abuse of authority and threats to public safety.
Rather than relying solely on citizen requests, the measure mandates proactive publication of government budgets, expenditures, procurement contracts, audit findings, annual reports, performance indicators, public programs and other records involving public interest.
Moreover, the proposal seeks greater transparency in government contracting by requiring disclosure of beneficial ownership information involving entities doing business with the government.
The bill further imposes administrative, civil and criminal liabilities on officials who unlawfully deny access to information, unjustifiably delay responses, conceal or destroy public records, knowingly invoke exemptions without factual or legal basis, provide false information or retaliate against individuals exercising their right to government information.
The measure will proceed to bicameral deliberations to reconcile differences with the Senate version before it may be transmitted to the President for signature.
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