The Right To Information (RTI) Bill has inched closer to committee approval in the House of Representatives after the Technical Working Group (TWG) tasked with consolidating its various versions and finetuning its provisions concluded deliberations on the measure, Parañaque 2nd District Brian Raymund Yamsuan said Tuesday.
Yamsuan has instructed the secretariat of the House Committee on Public Information to draft the substitute bill incorporating all the agreed provisions of the TWG so that the committee report on the measure could be endorsed to the panel next week for consideration and approval.
“To all our resource persons from the different government agencies and to all freedom of information advocates who took part in the TWG, maraming salamat and congratulations! After over three decades since the filing of the first RTI bill, we are confident that with the conclusion of this crucial stage in the crafting of the measure, we would be able to finally enact a law institutionalizing transparency in all levels of government,” said Yamsuan, a vice-chairperson of the public information committee who headed the TWG on the RTI bill.
The Senate’s counterpart version of the RTI bill is currently in the period of interpellation in the chamber
“We are proud that the substitute bill consolidating the 26 RTI measures was done with the active participation of stakeholders who have long championed the passage of a law that truly upholds every Filipino’s constitutional right to information,” he added.
The proposed RTI Act is among the 21 priority bills of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) approved by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., and targeted for congressional approval by June 2026.
Yamsuan said passing the proposed RTI Act would be both timely and fitting amid public clamor for transparency and accountability in the implementation of government programs and projects.
“Bukod sa pagsusulong ng transparency at accountability, ang pagsasabatas ng Right To Information Act ay makakatulong din para malabanan ang disinformation at mahikayat ang ating mga kababayan na lumahok sa paghubog ng mga polisiya at programa ng gobyerno,” Yamsuan said.
(On top of promoting transparency and accountability, enacting the Right to Information Act will also help fight disinformation, and encourage our countrymen to participate in shaping government policies and programs.)
The TWG terminated its proceedings on Monday (March 9, 2026) after it was able to complete deliberations on more than 50 proposed provisions of the RTI measure, including contentious portions relating to the grounds for removal of members of the proposed RTI Commission, the rules on disclosure and confidentiality restrictions, and the list of exceptions to the grant of access to information.
With the RTI bill being a priority measure of the Marcos administration, Yamsuan expressed optimism that the House would be able to approve the measure on third and final reading when Congress resumes session on May 4, 2026. The Congress will adjourn session on March 31.
The Senate’s counterpart version of the RTI bill is currently in the period of interpellation in the chamber.
