An Independent Evaluation of the FOI Bills – “Balancing right to information with competing interests of individuals, state and bureaucracy: What’s the score on the FOI bills?”

UPCIDS will organize a forum on pursuing greater access by Filipinos to data relevant to public interest. The event, “Balancing right to information with competing interests of individuals, state and bureaucracy: What’s the score on the FOI bills?” 

Given that the bill has evolved through various Congresses, and as we await the bill’s consideration by the House plenary, this is an opportune time to provide a platform to evaluate the most advanced versions of the FOI bill.
We have requested Atty. Jose Manuel Diokno, Dean of the De La Salle College of Law, to make an independent evaluation of the Senate bill and the House proposed substitute bill, in terms of the balance between the right to information and other competing interests of individuals (such as privacy) and of the state and the bureaucracy.
Invited to be the forum’s reactors are Right to Know, Right Now! Coalition Co-convenor Atty. Nepomuceno Malaluan(confirmed), Reps. Neri Colmenares(invited), Leni Gerona-Robredo(confirmed) and Kaka Bag-ao(invited). They are expected to give comments on the evaluation by Dean Diokno.  
This event will be held on March 17, 2015 Tuesday 8:30 am to 1:30 pm at the ERP Room, L/G Floor Bahay ng Alumni, University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, Quezon City.

The presentation will be followed by an open discussion with the participants. Invited participants will be from the academe, Congress and civil society groups.